This morning, Donald Trump stands accused of being a sort of modern day Catiline: a threat to the political system that can only be addressed by his removal from office. It is a form of ostracism. It is a stain on his reputation that will never disappear.
Even Trump, whose moral obtuseness knows no bounds, understands this, and it drives him crazy. The question for the day is, how did this come to pass, particularly after the Mueller investigation?
I think the answer is relatively simple– Trump can’t see any difference between running the Trump Organization and the country. As a developer, I’m sure he would have had no qualms about digging up dirt to use against, say, a member of a zoning board. No one would expend much energy condemning him for doing that, and he couldn’t be prosecuted for it. Why should things be different just because he is now the CEO of a much larger and important organization, America, LLC?
Because, of course, there is no America, LLC, and the presidency is a public trust, not a prize. Trump has no understanding of that distinction. He never will.