If . .

If Trump loses the election and leaves the White House, the question arises what happens to him afterwards? There will be a natural compulsion on Biden’s part to move on swiftly and establish his own agenda. As so often happens, the ‘dead’ politician is quickly despatched to history and in egregious cases are viewed as aberrations best forgotten. ‘Move on’ is a potent statement. In Trump’s case it certainly would be good for Biden to move on, but this does not apply to everybody else. There needs to be a reckoning, which I think could be best played out through the courts, not least the criminal, civil and bankruptcy courts. It will not be enough to defeat Trump in the election to eradicate his legacy, such as it is. He needs some form of full exposure for what he is and represents. Whilst he has the status of President he looks imperial, but once shorn of those purple robes how will he look facing a jury of ordinary citizens on criminal charges? And how else might the GOP come to terms with its hypnotised indulgence of this man (not that I care for the GOP)? It will be the case that if Trump is defeated, GOP grandmasters will be gadding about telling all and sundry how little they knew him and that they didn’t really approve. They were just following orders. But the subtleties of their differentiations will not assuage the anger of Trump’s hard core base, and it is they who need defanging. Is it possible that even for them the sham of Trump could be exposed in the courts? I can’t see many alternatives. Trump’s defeat may be celebrated by the victors, but at that point their job is done. Only natural justice can finish the job off. Trump’s epitaph loudly needs to proclaim ‘Here lies a common criminal.’