This past May, a former president of the United States was convicted of a series of 34 crimes committed as he ran for the presidency. Many think those crimes were about the falsifying of business records. Well, partly. What the former president was actually convicted of was all 34 crimes, convictions decided individually, with the additional feature of them being done “to promote or prevent the election of [a] person to a public office by unlawful means.” In New York state, it is a felony to commit a crime for the purpose of either promoting or preventing the election of a political candidate. That’s the real crime; the former president was convicted of falsifying business records (crime #1) to promote the election of a candidate for public office (crime #2 and the amplifier of crime #1). The candidate promoted was himself, Donald Trump, and the public office was the presidency of the United States.

The Republican Party is apparently of two minds about Mr. Trump’s convictions. Those true to both the party’s conservative principles and to constitutional law are embarrassed and concerned for their party. On the other hand, the party’s Trumpists are indignant at the insult to their idol and are dismissive of the law complaining that the charges against Mr. Trump were politically motivated. It is true that the Manhattan district attorney who brought the charges is a Democrat; but that does not justify the charge that the trial was politically motivated. It’s not difficult to understand that a more plausible reason is that the D. A. thought doing illegal things to advance a candidate for political office is a significant violation of law that should be stopped. Those truly concerned about election fraud should be in agreement, especially when the candidacy involved is for the presidency of the United States. In any case, the Manhattan D. A. had to first convince a grand jury there was significant evidence of crimes then convince 12 citizens of a petit jury that the crimes were actually committed as charged. Twelve jurors. Guilty on all counts. Patriots, it’s the American way.

One would think Trumpists understand this. In the past, they have loudly proclaimed that electoral corruption is a threat to democracy, even saying it is the reason their leader lost the last election. The problem with that charge is well known. Their claims of electoral misdeeds were filed in 62 lawsuits in 9 states and their complaints were considered by both Democrat and Republican judges, some of the latter appointed by Mr. Trump, himself. All the complaints failed. All. What gigantic, Machivellian hand could have so perfectly cleansed the misdeeds of Dastardly Democrats? Perhaps it was the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny.

Trumpist Republicans say Mr. Trump’s trial was a sham and an attempt at election interference.

The chutzpah of such claims is staggering when you consider those 62 unfounded lawsuits filed in 2020. Those sham lawsuits were true attempts at election interference, which shows the current complaints at least come from experts at the art.

There are conservative politicians and voters who truly believe in the American Constitution and the democracy it supports.

A real question in the coming election is the degree to which they will remain silent in the face of Trumpist assaults on reason and the rule of law. Will they have the courage to lead rather than simply follow the polls? Will they stand for common sense and common responsibility in government or will they simply go quiet and hope the storm will pass them by? Do they actually believe that the moral idea of democracy is best sustained by a leader who seems not to understand the phrase, “moral idea”? We shall see.