By Chris Kernan-Schmidt, Columnist
A few weeks ago President Donald Trump woke up bright and early to remind the Twittersphere of the “WITCH HUNT!” that is supposedly being perpetrated by the ominous left. This latest witch hunt-themed tweet is one of a handful made in the last few months of Trump’s presidency. When I compare Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 Russian election meddling to the fictitious rendition of the Salem witch trials in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible– an actual witch-hunt– I see that Trump’s claim that the left is perpetrating “the greatest Witch Hunt in political history” is immensely flawed. Unlike Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, “The Crucible” details an atmosphere in which everyone is afraid of being called a witch, or in this case being complacent in Russian interference, and sentenced on a whim even if they are innocent. Today though, the only ones who seem to be scared of this “witch hunt” are the supposed conspirators themselves: Trump and his crew. There were no actual witches in “The Crucible”, but there seems to be quite the coven in Trump’s administration.
Those who shout the loudest often have the most to hide. Trump’s quickness to insinuate that there is an unfair and unfounded witch-hunt perpetrated by his political enemies is quite indicative of fear and perhaps guilt. By pointing fingers and scapegoating the media and the left Trump shifts the focus away from himself. Unlike the protagonists of “The Crucible”, Trump and his gang are not being targeted in the name of hysteria or selfish gain. There is a rightful investigation into their compliance, or at the very least knowledge of, Russian interference into our elections. Keep in mind that four people close to Trump’s administration or campaign have already been charged in Mueller’s investigation.
If there are no witches in the White House, and Trump and his friends are truly innocent, then why is he so afraid of this so-called witch hunt? If Trump and his administration did not act like witches– or Russian conspirators– then I could see how these unrelenting investigations could seem like a witch hunt. The way I see it is that, “the liberals and leftist media” are not out to get Trump for his unpopular views, they are trying to ensure legitimacy in our elections.
In this case, if President Trump is truly innocent, then he should be as open as possible to clear this mess up as quickly as possible. The shady firings, the early-morning tweets, and the constant attitude of “everyone is out to get me” is quite tiresome and frankly, it is not presidential. I am certain that while many do not agree with Trump’s policies, Robert Mueller’s investigation is neither a witch hunt nor unfair. Given the leads that the public has thus far: multiple campaign staffers in contact with Russians, detailed reports on Russian efforts to sway the election, and Trump’s “Russia can do no wrong” attitude, it is not far off to assume Trump was involved.
I hope the investigation continues. I want to be clear that I do not actively wish to find out that Trump was a part of Russian interference, but I do want those involved to be brought to justice. I believe Robert Mueller is a competent patriot who is working to preserve our election integrity and the integrity of the Executive Branch. I have a short message to President Trump: you are not a target of a witch hunt, Mr. Trump. You are a very important piece of a very big puzzle that has yet to be solved.
Graphic by Billy Ferguson
