Conservative New York Times columnist David French voiced alarm on Thursday over the early actions of President Donald Trump in his second term, calling them a significant threat to the rule of law in the United States.
“I have never been more concerned about the rule of law in the United States,” French began in his latest column, warning of the dangerous precedent set by two of Trump’s recent decisions: the mass pardoning of Capitol rioters and the revocation of Secret Service protection for former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
“Bolton has faced threats from an American enemy, the Islamic Republic of Iran,” French wrote. “In fact, he was the target of an assassination plot by a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in 2022. At the same time that he was taking away Bolton’s Secret Service protection, Trump granted absolution to men and women who violently attacked the seat of American government and tried to foment a rebellion against the lawful, constitutional government of the United States.”
French acknowledged concerns over former President Joe Biden pardoning his family members before leaving office but argued that Trump’s actions were far more dangerous. “Trump’s opening-day pardons were something else entirely,” he wrote. “He was sending two messages.
First, membership in the MAGA movement has its rewards, and one of them is freedom from the law itself. The attack on the Capitol was an act of vicious political violence, and now its shock troops and architects are posing for triumphant pictures and celebrated across the length and breadth of MAGA America.”
French fears these pardons signal a deeper disregard for legal accountability, suggesting Trump may even ignore Supreme Court rulings that challenge him. “Trump’s pardons of his own violent supporters are an indication that he won’t even obey Supreme Court rulings that go against him,” French warned.
The columnist’s critique reflects growing concerns among conservatives and moderates about the implications of Trump’s early moves in his second term. French’s pointed analysis highlights the potential erosion of legal norms and accountability under Trump’s leadership, raising alarm about the precedent these actions could set for the future of American democracy.