Dem
49
GOP
51
Once again, Donald Trump is promising his supporters that as president, he will put his political opponents in prison. It is his 2016 rallying cry of "Lock her up," except on steroids. On Saturday, he posted to his boutique $17.10-per-share social media site this message: "WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again. Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country."
Not only are these threats real, but probably he could not be prosecuted even if he exacted this retribution illegally. If Trump were to order his AG to arrest prominent Democrats and keep them in prison for a few years without a trial, the Supreme Court would likely say that administering justice was a core responsibility of the president and thus he could not be prosecuted for any crimes he committed while carrying out his core duties.
Of course, there is scant evidence that elections are rigged or that anyone running them is cheating, with the possible exception of some low-level Republican election officials who have said they won't certify elections unless the Republican is the winner. No Democratic election official has said anything like that. (V)