Opinion: The former president who did what Trump is trying to do

Editor’s Note: Sign up to get this weekly column as a newsletter. Cleveland overcame scandal in his first run for president when he had to admit to having possibly fathered a child out of wedlock — his opponents derisively chanted, “Ma, ma, where’s my Pa?” But his travails pale in comparison to Trump’s 91 felony charges — and Cleveland’s speech saluting homely American virtues is worlds away from the 2024 Republican frontrunner’s repeated focus on his own grievances, spoken as he travels from primary appearances to courtrooms. This could be something to build on for future debates.” DeSantis got a D+ from Graham: “His answers became alarmingly policy-free and could easily fit on bumper stickers.” For more: John Avlon: Trump spreads birther lie about Nikki Haley Violence and immunity In the world of legal developments swirling around Trump last week, the most significant was the DC Circuit Court’s oral arguments over his claim to immunity from criminal prosecution under nearly all circumstances. “Right out of the gate,” wrote Laurence Tribe, Norman Eisen and Taylor Redd, “Judge Florence Pan, who emerged as the panel’s most incisive questioner, presented Trump’s counsel John Sauer with a hypothetical that exposed the unthinkable consequences of Trump’s extreme position: Could a president who used his official authority to order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival ever be prosecuted?” They wrote that “placing presidents above the law — by making them immune from criminal accountability — gets separation of powers backwards and upends the rule of law.” Bill Bramhall/Tribune Content Agency The SEAL Team Six hypothetical “resonated because it aligns with the Trump we have all come to know: a politician who has encouraged, promoted, justified and even praised political violence, as long as he sees it as a sign of support for him,” Frida Ghitis observed. “If the Globes are to be given credence as harbingers for Academy Awards,” wrote Gene Seymour, “then ‘Oppenheimer’ would seem to have an edge — that is, unless you neglect the other big-screen winners Sunday, including ‘Poor Things,’ the Victorian period farce that won for best comedy or musical feature as well as a best female actor in comedy or musical prize for its star, Emma Stone.” Seymour noted “the reformist spirit of this year’s Globes, which made sweeping changes in their operations that included phasing out the scandal-plagued Hollywood Foreign Press Association and bringing greater diversity to the voting process.” “Which made for everything except a better show…” Don’t miss Michael Bociurkiw: A turning point in Ukraine Lanhee J. Chen: Two key questions hang over Taiwan’s election Noah Berlatsky: This movie takes on American individualism at its most absurd AND… Bye bye Belichick Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, holds the Vince Lombardi trophy after winning Super Bowl XXXVIII, on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.