Trump’s 'revenge tour' has its hits and its misses |
Trump’s ‘revenge tour’ has its hits and its misses
President Trump has every right to seek retribution against those who have undermined and attacked him — often using illegal means — for more than a decade. All the bogus charges, the over-the-top fines, the spying and targeting by Joe Biden’s Justice department and New York Attorney General Letitia James’s campaign promise to “get Trump.”
He deserves the chance to punch back.
But what critics call his “revenge tour” must be done judiciously, or it will do more harm than good.
Just this past week, the Justice Department and the president have zeroed in (one way or another) on James Comey, Jimmy Kimmel, David Morens and Somali scammers in Minneapolis. Some of these targets make sense, but others do not. Pursuing foolish vendettas (like prosecuting Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell) or lodging flimsy charges (against Letitia James, for example) takes away from the gravity of prosecuting those who deserve it most.
Former FBI Director James Comey is, in my view, a bad guy. I consider him a dishonest and self-serving actor who conspired to undermine a duly elected president. He deserves punishment. But going after him for a social media post about seashells arranged in a purportedly nefarious manner is not smart. This prosecution will likely fail. Comey has denied he knew the meaning of the seashells’ “86 47” arrangement, which some interpreted as a call to assassinate Trump. How can anyone prove he knew?
If Comey skates, frustration on the right will mount. Too many opponents loathed by Republicans are walking free, despite misdeeds much worse. Some destroyed government communications (Hillary Clinton). Others evaded years of taxes (Hunter Biden). Almost certainly, Comey will dodge justice as well.
Attacking late-night host Kimmel is similarly pointless. Trump and his wife are demanding that ABC fire the deeply unfunny late-night comic. But this........