Democratic outrage over former US President Donald Trump’s indictment in Manhattan has been undeniable. But underneath the veneer of political grandstanding, it has become clear that their true aim is to achieve a lasting political victory in the 2024 election. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent jaunt to Manhattan to witness the arraignment is a testament to this, drawing criticisms ofTrump’s prosecution being used as a political tool from New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
It was Occupy Wall Street in 2011 which first popularized this practice of using political outrage as a personal playpen. While the purpose of the movement faded shortly after, the underlying message left a lasting impact, and has been adopted in varying forms by myriad political activists since then.
The misuse of the legal system is an issue which must be addressed in order to ensure the integrity of our justice system. It is essential that this political opportunism end, and that sentiment like that of Mayor Adams’ become the norm when approaching the subject of legal prosecutions within politics.
Alvin Bragg is a criminal justice expert and former Manhattan prosecutor. He is a Fellow at NYU Law’s Reiss Center on Law and Security and currently a tenured professor of Law at NYU. He is renowned for being a civil rights leader, having worked to combat police brutality and excessive force in the past. Bragg is well versed in New York criminal law and is a staunch advocate for fairness in criminal justice reform.
Donald Trump is a former US President who recently faced an indictment in Manhattan. This ruling is considered a major milestone in the ongoing debate over Trump’s legal accountability for the insurrection at the US Capitol earlier this year. Many Democrats have seen Trump’s indictment as a chance to exact political retribution against the former president, though they are careful to temper their words to avoid any legal implications.
