WAITING GAME — The Weekly Opine

FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C. should tell Attorney General Merrick Garland to get on with it already. The coast is clear to indict Trump. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Waiting for what?

You may have noticed that, nearly two months ago, when Merrick Garland and his Department of Justice executed their search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, I did not have much to say. Sure, I agree the FBI was justified in their actions. And I believe Trump illegally possessed hundreds of classified documents. But we’ve been down this path before. Let’s not forget Robert Mueller’s unsteady testimony, when he unveiled his much-anticipated Mueller Report but stopped short of saying Trump committed crimes.

For some reason, and I’m sorry to have to say this, but for some reason too many – mostly White – men with authority are reticent to indict and prosecute powerful White men. When it comes time for the ultimate accountability, too many powerful White men are still given loads of leeway. Just look at the number of White cops still on the beat, or minimally out on the street living their daily lives, after being caught on video murdering unarmed, cooperative (often Black) civilians.

How else do you explain that Trump is still with us as a free man? Free to travel as he pleases, roaming the country spewing lies and vitriol and thumbing his nose at democracy. If you or I was Trump, we’d have been indicted and locked up, without bail, a long time ago. We’d be eating mush and polishing license plates while awaiting trial.

Even President Biden demurred regarding Trump’s criminality. Biden offered up malarky excuses that he didn’t want DOJ going after Trump because it would further divide the country. (It reminds me of when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, maddeningly reluctant to impeach Trump, used the excuse that Trump was not worth impeaching.)

As it stands, the number of apparent crimes committed by Trump is staggering. The January 6 Committee has already proven Trump’s crimes of sedition, conspiracy and obstruction. Oh, and witness tampering. The FBI, retrieving highly classified and top-secret documents from Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, has proven the crime of illegally taking and hiding highly classified and top-secret documents. Unsecured. In his basement and office.

America’s Greatest Generation, whose sacrifices for our freedom are honored at the World War II Memorial in D.C., would be appalled at Attorney General Merrick Garland’s lack of aggression in protecting our democracy. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Who knows what else may come from the Mar-a-Lago search? Will we learn Trump either did, or attempted to, trade U.S. secrets for personal benefit? Or for the benefit of his pals Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un?

Yet, somehow, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland dilly dallies. Garland seems unable to muster the recognition of duty to do what two Black women with authority are proceeding to do.

Black power

In New York, Attorney General Letitia James – a Black woman – has overseen a civil investigation that has unearthed a skyscraper of financial crimes, including “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” committed by the hoodlum-laced Trump Organization.

New York state law prohibits James from charging Trump with a crime as part of her civil probe. However, James made a referral of her findings to federal prosecutors at the vaunted Southern District of New York and is expected to send a criminal referral to sleepy Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Unfortunately, Bragg previously shifted into slowpoke mode, regarding the criminal investigation of Trump’s business that was initiated by Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr. Consequently, Bragg is a Black man who’s turning out to be as useless as Clarence Thomas, Ben Carson and Tim Scott.

Down in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis – a Black woman - has stacked a mountain of evidence of Trump’s crimes. Willis is compiling documents that offer ironclad proof Trump & Co. (e.g., Rudy Giuliani) made false statements to government officials. She has zeroed in on Trump’s solicitation of election fraud resulting from his (and Lindsey Graham’s) infamous phone calls to Georgia election officials. And Willis is all over Trump’s attempt to send fake electors from Georgia to Washington D.C.

Willis is on record saying, “The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences.”

My money is on Fani Willis to be the first to indict Trump. She fearlessly has said if you commit a crime in her district – regardless of who you are or what title you have or had – you will be held accountable, including doing time in prison.

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis (L) and New York Attorney General Letitia James are not afraid to hold Trump and his co-conspirators accountable. (Photos credit Twitter and The City NYC)

What we are witnessing, as it relates to Trump, is what we often see in America. Black women step up to do the right thing while others practice handwringing.

Ask Democrats which group put Barack Obama and Joe Biden over the top in the 2008, 2012 and 2020 elections. Forthright Dems will answer, “Black women.” Ask Georgia senators (D) Raphael Warnock and (D) Jon Ossoff who put them over the top in the 2021 special election. The only answer is Stacy Abrams, the Black woman who tirelessly fights voter suppression while registering voters. Ask myriad star Black athletes who was the guiding, steadying hand during their formative years. They will answer it was their mom and/or grandma.

I said it often during the 2020 presidential campaign and will say it again; if Joe Biden had named Kamala Harris his attorney general, Trump would already be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit matching his fake orange hair.

Meanwhile, Merrick Garland wobbles like a newborn calf, trying to steady himself amidst the winds of criminal buffoonery attempting to topple American democracy.

There’s an old saying that goes, don’t send a boy to do a man’s job. Regarding holding Trump accountable the saying should be, don’t send timid men to do the job; send strong-willed Black women.