We're going to have to agree to disagree.
"They" don't "need" to indict him. This is a legal investigation. If there is overwhelming evidence that he committed serious crimes, in my opinion the DOJ should take the evidence to a federal grand jury to see if the grand jury will indict him. If this happens, so be it.
If there isn't reliable evidence that he committed serious crimes, in my opinion the DOJ shouldn't seek an indictment. If Trump runs in 2024 and some people decide they want to vote for Trump on the basis that he was not indicted, so be it.
You seem to be looking at this from a purely political point of view. I don't see it that way.
Keep in mind that Trump took government documents when he left the White House. The documents are the property of the federal government. No one in their right mind would believe that the documents were the personal property of Trump. According to the search warrant that was released, the FBI did indeed retrieve property of the federal government when it searched Mar-a-Lago.
That's not to say he couldn't be indicted on various charges, but we already know he had government property in his possession that was retreived by the FBI. Those are facts.
Trump's approval ratings were in the cellar after January 6. He has very little appeal beyond his base. I can't see how taking government property yet avoiding an indictment is a compelling reason to vote for someone.
The people who are enticed by "the IRS is after you" type stuff are already Trumpers. He's been playing the same card for years and years.
You are of course free to make any predictions you want.
I'm not even sure we have to disagree
I never said anything above was accurate I said it only had to be perceived as accurate which all politicians and media are good at putting spin on things
And you are 100% correct in interpreting this through the lens of the law. And you are 100% in interpreting that I'm looking at it through the lens of politics
But I'm making that point because that's how MOST people will interpret it. They won't see it with your expertise that you have in the law
Trumps approval ratings were in the tank. BUT fair or not now so are Bidens and that changes a lot of things. People when uncomfortable have real short term memories when it comes to the past
I feel democrats are mistaken if they think the only thing they have to worry about is the Trump base. A LOT of people not just Trumpers dont trust the government. All Trump has to do is spin this which he can if he's not indicted and this could be a real blowback like abortion rights has turned out to be for the GOP
From a political view if they don't indict its terrible optics. It looks really bad right before the November midterms. You've had news stations all over going he's hiding nuclear secrets he's hoarding info for espionage. That's serious accusations to be slinging around on a media level. And if they don't even charge him?
You don't think people won't put this on the democrats as yet another one of they're failed attempts to take him out? It even makes Jan 6th look bad because if he's not guilty of this then people could be start spinning well maybe he's not guilty of that.
Just look at how the GOP spun the inflation bill on doubling the IRS and how it's really about going after the middle class. Look at how they spun that ad about arming agents? Americans are notorious for being protective of how much they are taxed. That's not a Trumper thing
If you don't think the GOP can't spin this whole situation to they're advantage if he's not charged we'll your getting the law interpretation right. I think you might just be missing the bigger picture
If the FBI can't charge him they never should have done this.
Oh that bill is crap by the way but that's a discussion for a whole different thread