To the editor:
I can't believe I'm explaining this to grown American so-called patriots. Donald Trump's being investigated and charged for violations under the Espionage Act because he almost certainly intentionally violated the Espionage Act. It's not retribution by his political enemies. After all, as Trump's lawyer said, "The targeting prosecution of a leading political opponent is the type of thing you see in dictatorships." Or as Trump said the same day, "I will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after … Biden."
Remember, when campaigning in 2016, Trump promised nobody'd be above the law, and promised to prosecute anyone who treated our nation's security and military secrets carelessly? Of course, he was talking about Hillary Clinton at the time, and if it was found she'd intentionally illegally mishandled top-secrets, it would have been fitting to prosecute her. It wouldn't have been a witch hunt, nor retribution by her political enemies, nor a political ploy to harm her campaign.
Of course, no such prosecution happened, despite calls from the rank-in-file to "lock her up." Why? Because after she cooperated fully with numerous investigations, no evidence to charge her was found.
Contrariwise, we know Trump lied to investigators about having sensitive materials sought by the archive, and he conspired to hide said materials, and he left them in unsecured spaces such as his Mar-a-lago bathroom, and that he shared their contents with persons unfit and uncleared to view them, including Kid Rock, who told a podcast interviewer that Trump showed him military plans concerning Korea and asked his opinion on them.
Getting back to Hillary -- even if you disagree that she should have been exonerated for using an unsecured e-mail (She didn't, by the way. It just wasn't a secured "government" e-mail,) doesn't that also mean Trump should be prosecuted for using an unsecured phone and e-mail, for carrying nuclear secrets to his private residence and sharing information about our military weaknesses and potential war plans, and for lying to federal authorities about it? Incidentally, he's not being charged for the phone or email thing. Relax.
Neither is Ivanka or Jared -- who also did it while working for the government on sensitive issues, despite criticizing Hillary for it loudly for years.
Trump also claims the notoriously rightwing FBI is targeting him; and, yes, the bureau does target Americans -- for example: Criminals like Dillinger, Capone and Aldrich Ames; or leftists like Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy or Occupy Wall Street. Do you think Trump's a leftist?
Trump isn't being targeted. He served himself up on a platter. He's not the victim. We are. We, the American public, were used by a conman who never cared about our welfare or our country. Stop defending him. It makes you look pathetic. He deserves what's happening to him. He'll probably never see a day in prison, so he actually deserves worse than what's happening to him.
To paraphrase his buddy, General Flynn, "Lock him up," if he's found guilty, which he should be, because he definitely did it.
J. David Core
Toronto