The Republican party is now at war with the rule of law in America

As gratifying as it is to see Donald Trump finally held accountable for a life of holding himself above the law, his felony conviction last week in New York City casts a dark shadow.

Yes, Trump is now branded a felon. Yes, his conviction may hurt him among a small number of swing voters. Yes, the timing of his sentencing, just days before the start of the Republican convention, will be a stark reminder of just who the party is nominating.

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He is now the first-ever U.S. president ever to be convicted of criminal charges.

But the conviction also highlights a frightening and disgusting reality: Republicans no longer believe in the institutions of government. They believe only in power.

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For weeks, Trump and his surrogates have been vehemently attacking Trump’s legal problems as the result of a conspiracy by the Biden administration and the Department of Justice. They have described his prosecution as politically motivated, called the trial a sign of a banana republic, and branded the entire court system as “corrupt.”

We’re not talking about folks like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who can be counted on for the most outlandish defense of Trump possible. The banana republic remark is from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Calling the court system corrupt was the brainchild of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), number two in line for the presidency.

Johnson went even further, saying that the Supreme Court should overturn the conviction because “I think that the Justices on the court – I know many of them personally – I think they are deeply concerned.” That comment suggests that Johnson is communicating with the justices he’s friendly with about a potential case – a pretty fair example of political collusion.

Even so-called moderates like Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) felt the need to lie in support of Trump. Collins said that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg ” campaigned on a promise to prosecute Donald Trump.” That’s simply untrue.

When former Maryland Gov. (and current Senate candidate) Larry Hogan (R) said that voters should respect the jury process, he was immediately slammed as a traitor to the cult. “He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point, and quite frankly, anybody in America, if that’s the way you feel,” Republican National Committee Chair Lara Trump said.

(Fittingly, as a sign of just how much the GOP is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Trump Inc., the party chair is Trump’s daughter-in-law.)

What Trump’s conviction has revealed is that Republicans do not believe in the law at all. Indeed, given the chance, they will discard the law to persecute their political enemies on made-up charges.

“What we’re gearing up for is if Trump wins, he’s going to use the apparatus of the state to target his political opponents,” Jason Stanley, a professor at Yale and the author of How Fascism Works, told PBS News Hour.

Stanley says that Trump and his allies should be taken seriously. “Believe what they say,” he said. “He’s literally telling you he’s going to use the apparatus of the state to target his political opponents.”

We’re already seeing that perversion of the law at work in other places. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who earlier this year reached a deal to have felony fraud charges against himself dropped, has been using consumer protection laws to target groups that he dislikes, including healthcare systems offering care to trans youth.

When Trump ran for president in 2016, he campaigned on a promise to drain the swamp. That was always a fraud since Trump’s administration wallowed in corruption.

Now, Trump is much more upfront about his intentions. “I am your retribution,” Trump declared at a rally in March of last year.

Trump’s conviction was a victory for the rule of law. As a result, the Trump GOP has no recourse but to destroy it. Otherwise, the party would have to admit that their candidate really is a felon who deserved what he got.

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