The verdict is in

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Former president of the United States is now a convicted felon. It will take some time for that fact to settle on the nation’s conscience. Before turning to the many implications of this verdict, we need to let the moral seriousness of the tragedy settle on us. Whatever happens in days to come, this verdict represents a major turning point in American history. Americans need to think carefully about what all of this means. We all know that Americans face a dangerous political moment, with constitutional dangers and legal complexities tossed about as weapons of political warfare. It seems just about impossible that we are overestimating the importance of this moment. I think Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Donald Trump, coming as a result of a campaign pledge he made when he ran for Manhattan district attorney, was a political stunt from the beginning. Bragg had to construct an argument without legal precedent to press felony charges against Trump, and it is hard to see Bragg’s office taking a similar approach to any other defendant. The bigger scandal is that the forces allied against the former president were so blatantly political and the entire process was timed to inflict maximum political damage just as the 2024 presidential campaign was hitting high gear