A few months ago, Marine Le Pen, a prominent far-right politician in France, was caught up in an embezzlement scheme involving E.U. funds. A French judicial panel examined the evidence and agreed to ban Le Pen from ever seeking elected office again.
Donald Trump was not at all pleased with the developments. In fact, while the American president admitted that he didn’t know Le Pen or understand the details of the underlying controversy, the Republican nevertheless said the case against her was a “witch hunt” launched by “European Leftists,” adding that she was “probably” innocent.
In an odd rant published to his social media platform, Trump concluded, “FREE MARINE LE PEN!”
This week, he took a similar step about a political ally in a different country. NBC News reported, Trump has now decided that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial is also a “witch hunt” that should be canceled. The Republican wrote a 348-word rant on his social media platform, which read in part:
I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister! … He deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State. … THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!
As NBC News’ report explained, “Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Prosecutors have alleged that he exchanged regulatory favors with media owners in Israel seeking positive press coverage.”
Trump condemned the cases, not because of evidence pointing to Netanyahu’s innocence, but because the American president believes the Israeli prime minister is an ally and “a WARRIOR.” In fact, at no point in his online harangue did Trump even question the charges against the prime minister on the merits.
His argument was almost child-like: He likes Netanyahu, so Netanyahu’s alleged crimes should go unexamined.
An Axios report added, “Trump’s comments in a post on his Truth Social account were an unprecedented intervention by a U.S. president in a legal proceeding in another democratic ally.”
That’s true, but the problem is not just with the American president’s indifference to diplomatic protocols. Rather, what matters more is what this and related efforts tell us about Trump’s approach to the rule of law.
Indeed, there’s a through line between his many scandalous pardons, his intervention in Le Pen’s scandal, and his follow-up intervention in Netanyahu’s case: Trump is convinced that his allies and those who share his ideology cannot be subjected to accountability.
Niceties such as guilt, evidence, justice, and the integrity of the legal system are all fine and good, as far as they go, but for the incumbent Republican president, a “witch hunt” is any effort to hold people he likes accountable for alleged wrongdoing.
The next time he claims to care about “law and order,” be sure to read the fine print: We’ve arrived in an era in which justice isn’t applied to those who act and think like Trump does.
