Supreme Court hearing, did you hear
‘Twas twenty twenty one that year
The year the presidential coup
Almost succeeded; Trump v. you
At issue here: Was Trump immune
From prosecution? ‘Twas his tune
Since he was President, you see
His acts were legal. He was free
Trump’s justices, the bush beat ‘round
With hypotheticals unsound
Did not address the issue’s core
Revealing biases galore
Their tactic: to delay, it’s clear
The trial of Trump until next year
Beyond elections in the Fall
And possibly no trial at all
The Court’s behavior does reveal
The dangers of this Court are real
Their claim of justice is a fake
Democracy, itself’s at stake
4/26/2024
I like the poem and it triggers a sad parallel to Hitler’s rise to power after he used his court situation as a platform for his campaign to end the democracy in Germany during a difficult economic period. We are in a similar situation now. When comparing Adolf Hitler’s 1924 trial for the Beer Hall Putsch to Donald Trump’s legal challenges related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot involves considering historical and contextual differences. Here are some key points of comparison:
Nature of the Events:
Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch: This was an overt and direct attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government and the Weimar Republic, involving a violent takeover led by Hitler himself (Kershaw, 2008).
January 6 Capitol Riot: This event involved a mob of Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of the 2020 Presidential election results. Trump had held a rally earlier but was not present at the riot (Woodward & Costa, 2021).
Legal Charges:
Hitler: Charged with treason for directly attempting a coup, Hitler was tried in a sympathetic court that allowed him to use the trial as a platform for his views (Shirer, 1960).
Trump: Faces multiple investigations related to his role in potentially inciting the Capitol riot, with the proceedings occurring in a highly polarized political environment (Leonnig & Rucker, 2021).
Outcome and Consequences:
Hitler: Received a lenient sentence of five years, served less than one, gaining national sympathy and publicity that propelled his political career (Kershaw, 2008).
Trump: The outcomes of his legal challenges are ongoing, with significant potential impacts on his political future and American politics (Woodward & Costa, 2021).
Political and Social Context:
Germany in the 1920s: Marked by instability and economic hardship post-World War I, these conditions facilitated the rise of extremist ideologies like Hitler’s (Shirer, 1960).
Contemporary United States: Characterized by intense political polarization and debates over democratic norms and election legitimacy (Leonnig & Rucker, 2021).
References
Kershaw, I. (2008). Hitler: A Biography. W. W. Norton & Company.
Shirer, W. L. (1960). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Simon & Schuster.
Woodward, B., & Costa, R. (2021). Peril. Simon & Schuster.
Leonnig, C. D., & Rucker, P. (2021). I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year. Penguin Press.