Supposedly no American is above the law.
A basic principle is the law applies equally to all of us. Being famous and possesing a large fan base — whether in religion, politics, sports, movies, or whatever — shouldn’t get anyone special treatment.
It generally doesn’t; plenty of celebrities have gone to prison (e.g., O. J. Simpson, Martha Stewart, Jim Bakker).
No president ever has, true; but there’s never been a president like Trump, either. If a president acts like a criminal, there’s no good reason not to prosecute him just like anyone else.
If there’s a rule or custom that says we don’t prosecute a sitting president, that’s to keep him from being distracted from the public’s business. To keep that in perspective, that’s for our benefit, not his, and that rationale disappears when he leaves office. Ex-presidents are ordinary citizens, subject to the same rules as the rest of us. Run a red light, get a ticket.
By far the worst argument for not prosecuting Trump is that his supporters will riot if the law dares to touch him. Read story here.
The argument that this is a politically-motivated “witch hunt” doesn’t wash, either. The fact the Manhattan D.A. is a Democrat is irrelevant. If he’s indicted, it’ll be by a grand jury of ordinary citizens.
How serious is this? Legal experts generally agree the Stormy Daniels “hush money” case is the least serious of the four potential criminal cases against Trump. Even if he’s convicted, he might not get jail time. Buying someone’s silence isn’t even illegal; for an explanation of what exactly he may be charged with, and the potential legal consequences, read this article.
Of course Trump shouldn’t be prosecuted to keep him from running for president again, or prevent him from taking office if he wins legitimately. But that’s not happening, although he wants you to believe it is. That’s just another Trump lie. And in our legal system, lying doesn’t get anybody out of anything.