Suffice to say, the guilty verdict against former President Donald Trump has set the internet on fire.
Democrats and liberals wasted no time gloating about Trump getting labeled a "convicted felon," while Republicans and conservatives have blasted the whole circus as blatant election interference.
However, between the insufferable gloating on one side, and the righteous fury on the other, many politicians and political commentators have issued some dire warnings to the Democratic party over this nakedly political conviction.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to social media platform X to predict that the verdict might "backfire" spectacularly on the Democrats, since most could see how flimsy the case was at the start. Trump's campaign garnered a record-setting amount of donations in a single day as many voters became Trump supporters almost instantly.
Former Fox News host and political commentator Megyn Kelly, however, issued a warning on her show to the Democrats that the Washington elite would do well to take seriously.
She began the show declaring "the country's been disgraced," a sentiment many now share, comparing the machinations behind the trial to a "banana republic," and saying that "the idea all along was to stop him from becoming president again."
Kelly, however, didn't waste too much time lamenting the sham trial.
Instead, she quickly pivoted to warning Democrats of the legislative Pandora's box they opened with this whole debacle.
The whole scheme, she said, "is corrupt. It's a before-and-after moment for America. What just happened today is a line we can't uncross. And these Democrats will rue the day they decided to use lawfare to stop a presidential candidate."
Many on the right have said this regret will come in the form of Trump winning the election, thanks to the Democrats' transparent attempts to get him out of the running, but Kelly had something else in mind.
"I'm not talking about violence," she clarified, "I'm talking about tit for tat. You just wait, and it won't be Hunter Biden the next time. It's going to be Joe Biden, it could potentially still be Barack Obama, it could still potentially be Hillary Clinton. We're going to have to look at what the statutes of limitations are on the various crimes they surely committed."
"We're going to have to look," Kelly continued, "at passing laws to revive those dead crimes, felonies or misdemeanors, so that those cases can be brought out of time. That's what may be in the interests of justice, just like they did for E. Jean Carroll, with the New York state law that was passed so that she could sue him."
Kelly concluded by warning Democrats that "Turnabout is fair play."
Indeed it is.
Many on the right have recommended similar tactics against Democrats in the event Trump wins in November.
The Daily Wire's Matt Walsh wrote on X that "The only thing I want to hear from these people [Republican politicians] is which Democrats they will have arrested," and Elon Musk likewise said, "If a former President can be criminally convicted over such a trivial matter -- motivated by politics, rather than justice -- then anyone is at risk of a similar fate."
I don't want to hear elected Republicans complaining. I don't need to see their tweets and statements condemning the verdict. The only thing I want to hear from these people is which Democrats they will have arrested. Don't tell us that you're sad about the verdict. We don't give…
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 31, 2024
Indeed, great damage was done today to the public’s faith in the American legal system.
If a former President can be criminally convicted over such a trivial matter – motivated by politics, rather than justice – then anyone is at risk of a similar fate. https://t.co/zrHCyIZazh
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2024
At most, Trump was guilty of incorrectly classifying the "hush-money" payments to Stormy Daniels and others, while Biden and his old friends have been credibly accused of influence peddling, spying on Trump's campaign and sexual assault.
If this nothing-burger of an offense could go to trial and result in a felony conviction simply because the defendant was named Donald Trump, imagine what could happen to Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden if Republicans pursued similarly enthusiastic legal action against them.
Unfortunately, as The Federalist noted, Republicans in Washington have been far too timid in thwarting the Democrats' lawfare plans, as well as bringing charges against politicians, even though there have been plenty of opportunities.
However, considering the shock and anger engendered by this ridiculous verdict in this sham trial, maybe it might be enough for Republicans to actually do something, at least if Trump regains the office of president.
The Democrats have set the precedent of convicting political opponents, including former presidents and presidential candidates.
Kelly was absolutely right -- the Democrats have opened the floodgates, and if the Republicans take advantage of this chance, the Democrats will have no one to blame but themselves.
