After Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar was charged late last week on accusations of alleged corruption, it was tempting to assume that the Republicans would be happy. After all, the Texas congressman’s indictment will likely make his congressional district even more competitive and increase pressure on other Democrats to approve Cuellar’s resignation, expulsion, or both.
Donald TrumpHowever, doesn’t really see it that way.
In a closed-door speech at a donor retreat this weekend, the former president – who used to pardon politicians convicted of corruption – In fact complained about the Texas lawmaker was indicted, suggesting that Cuellar “was indicted for political reasons, because he was tough on the border.”
Sunday evening, Trump brought the same message to the public via its social media platform. His missive read in part:
So, in the spirit of Trump, President Joe Biden ordered prosecutors from the FBI and the Justice Department – as well as, presumably, members of a federal grand jury – to fabricate evidence of corruption against a member of the Congress in session. from Biden’s own party. The naughty White House, according to the former president’s creative theory, executed this plot because Cuellar is more conservative than many other Democrats on border policy.
If this bizarre prospect sounds familiar, it’s not a figment of your imagination: When Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was indicted on corruption allegations last year, some congressional Republicans and one of Trump’s lawyers also said: was part of a partisan conspiracy.
After the announcement of the charges against Cuellar, I makes the case that the indictment did further damage to one of the fundamental concepts of contemporary Republican politics: the ridiculous idea that Democrats “weaponized” federal law enforcement to punish Party figures Republican and protect Democrats from accountability.
The Justice Department and the FBI, leading Republican voices insist, are little more than political tools for the Biden White House and its evil allies.
Given the number of Democrats face charges or investigations in the hands of the Department of Justice and the FBI, it is impossible to take such an absurd theory seriously.
But as we learn, nothing can shake Republicans’ commitment to their baseless theory — and new evidence that contradicts their ideas is simply filtered through the prism of conspiracy.
When Republicans are indicted, we are told, it is proof that the justice system is being used as a weapon against the right. And when Democrats are indicted, according to the theory, it’s Also proof that the judicial system is used as a weapon against the law.
The conspiracy theory must still be true, even if it isn’t.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
