And Justice for Some

I remember back in 2015 when Ted Cruz announced his run for the presidency. He was slated to make a speech at Liberty University’s Convocation. There was some obligatory speculation about the topic of the speech, but everyone knew what the topic would be. And as everyone thought, Cruz announced his 2016 presidential bid. I tuned in because I was curious as to what the “Man Who Would Be…” had to say. I wish I could say I wasn’t disappointed, but I was. Cruz started strong with a story that had an arch of familial success because of the American Dream. But as the speech wore on, it quickly degenerated into the usual talking points. Growing small businesses, abolishing the IRS, filing your taxes on the back of a postcard, energy self-sufficiency, the end of Obamacare, religious freedom, and Second Amendment rights.

All of those are important things. But as I listened to Cruz, I thought “Oh, God, he’s done for and he hasn’t even started yet.” Mainly because I had heard all of these things before. I’ve interviewed candidates for public office from the local offices all the way up to members of congress, and from the county clerk-auditor to U.S. senators, I had heard all of those talking points before. I could have swapped the names and offices around and left everything else. Not that those things are not important; they are. But after four years of the Obama administration, conservatives were ready for new ideas and new approaches. People were tired of candidates saying the same things and seeing the same results.

And that is why Trump, as crude as he can be, has amassed such a loyal following. For many people who felt beaten, discouraged, and ready to give up, Trump said “We are going to do things differently.” Yes, he did Cruz some dirt in the run-up to the convention. But like him or loathe him, he gave many people back their will to fight, and that is why they remain suspicious or even contemptuous of the Mar-A-Lago raid.

In an article entitled “It’s Over: Trump Will Be Indicted,” Brad Moss lays out the reasons why in his opinion, Trump is ready for the proverbial fork. Basically, in what is available from the affidavit (insert ominous music here), Trump took classified documents that he should not have taken and ignored requests that he turn them over, in part because of hubris and in part because of bad legal advice.

All of this may be true. But the assertion is also made that the issue of selective justice does not matter. And there may be truth in the idea that selective justice is not part of the actual case. If I run a red light, I run a red light, and it doesn’t matter who I voted for. And The New York Times reports that members of the GOP faithful who were furious over the raid are now simmering down a bit as more details about the situation come to light.

Related: That Mushroom Cloud You See Is Another Trump Media Narrative Exploding Before Your Eyes

But while selective justice may not or may not affect the material facts of the case, it is an issue. It is an issue because, under Obama, the IRS did indeed target groups that were in opposition to the administration. It is an issue because Virginia parents were tarred with the terrorist brush for objecting to what their students were being taught. It is an issue because Tara Reade’s accusations of sexual assault by Joe Biden somehow evaporated before our eyes. It is an issue because the matter of Hunter Biden’s laptop and information that could have shed light on the Biden family’s shady business dealings were suppressed. It is an issue because we still do not understand the impetus behind a sloppy withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in death, destruction, and the surrender of millions of dollars in military assets to people who will have no qualms about using them. It matters because Hillary Clinton covered her tracks with BleachBit and hammers while Secretary of State. Granted, on a titular level, the office of Secretary of State is not as important an office as President, but as far as offices go, it is fairly high up there. It matters because tacit approval was given to people setting fires to cities, but J6 was decried as a tragedy on par with Pearl Harbor and the  9-11 attacks.

Justice, when leveraged to achieve or maintain money and power, is not justice at all. And despite what the intelligentsia would have us believe, taking note of that is not “whataboutism.” If we are willing to pursue Trump to the ends of the earth in the name of justice, we must also be willing to pursue others. One would think that the Left would want to purge their ranks of corruption as much as they want to purge those of conservatives. If justice is the goal, corruption on the part of one’s enemies cannot be a crime against humanity while corruption on the part of one’s allies is a mere blip on the radar.

The problem of power is what drove people to Trump in 2016, and is one reason why so many people remain so solidly behind him, warts and all. And while selective justice may not be germane to the subject of the Mar-A-Lago raid, the American people ignore it at their peril. The focus is on Trump and his followers, which is where the Democrats want it to be. Not on the economy, not on a nationwide degeneration of public safety, not on an open border, and not on selective justice. And so, the Republican Party is hijacked into being the party of Trump, which is easily exploitable, while Democrats continue to engage in business as usual.