Suppose Clinton wins, Trump goes to trial for fraud, and he gets convicted.
Now I'd love to see Trump not only forking over huge damage payments in civil suits for Trump University (if he even really has the money to pay up with), but doing jail time on criminal charges.
However...
Given the whole ugliness stirred up by Trump and his followers screaming "Lock her up!" (or worse, "Execute her!"
, and the argument Democrats have used against such rhetoric as befitting only despots and banana republics, would that leave us in a bit of a bind about tossing Trump in the slammer?
You know that, of course, the Trumpsters would be certain that any judgment against Trump was the result of a conspiracy -- as is anything that doesn't work out their way.
Would it be wise for Clinton to use her presidential power to grant Trump some degree of clemency?
Not have any convictions overturned, no relief from any damages he'd be expected to pay, but perhaps commuting any jail time? Such an action might be necessary to prove a point about the peaceful transition of power in a civilized society, even if it royally sucks that Trump specifically would go free and, in general, we'd be adding to public anger about the rich and powerful getting away with playing by different rules.
Of course if we weren't just talking about conviction for something like fraud, but for sexual assault, especially against a minor, then there's no way Clinton could grant clemency regardless of the likely backlash from conspiracy nuts who'd be certain Trump had been framed.
= new reply since forum marked as read
