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Should Trump Be Prosecuted?

History shows that holding former leaders to account pays off—if it’s done in the right way.

By , a former editor in chief of Foreign Policy.
A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands with members of the National Guard behind a fence surrounding Capitol Hill on Jan. 7.
A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands with members of the National Guard behind a fence surrounding Capitol Hill on Jan. 7.
A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands with members of the National Guard behind a fence surrounding Capitol Hill on Jan. 7. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

For almost as long as Donald Trump has been president, Americans have been debating whether or not he should be prosecuted for the various crimes he may have committed in office. That debate intensified on Saturday, when Trump called Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and appeared to threaten him unless he came up with 11,000 more votes for the president. Then came Wednesday’s mass assault on Capitol Hill, which Trump did so much to incite.

Jonathan Tepperman is a former editor in chief of Foreign Policy and the author of The Fix: How Countries Use Crises to Solve the World’s Worst Problems. Twitter: @j_tepperman

Tags: Corruption, Donald Trump, Law

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Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they prepare to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they prepare to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6.

Why This Wasn’t a Coup

Here’s the right language for what’s happening in Washington—and why the terminology matters.

Insider
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U.S. President Donald Trump addresses his supporters at a rally near the White House in Washington before the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses his supporters at a rally near the White House in Washington before the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Invoke the 25th Amendment—Now

Trump’s actions on Wednesday have led to an unavoidable national reckoning.

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John R. Allen
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen through a damaged entrance of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 7.
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen through a damaged entrance of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 7.

America Can’t Promote Democracy Abroad. It Can’t Even Protect It at Home.

Wednesday’s failed insurrection shows how the global ambitions of foreign-policy elites are divorced from reality—and undermined by domestic dysfunction.

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