Yesterday’s sentencing – or non-sentencing – of Donald Trump on criminal charges of falsifying business records encapsulated much of what is most disturbing about the president-elect and the chaos he and his followers have unleashed on American politics and society over the last decade.
The guilty verdict in a New York court over ‘hush money’ payments to adult film actor Storm Daniels before his 2016 election win confirms that when he is formally inaugurated again as US President in less than 10 days' time, the 78-year-old will become the first convicted felon to enter the White House.
History will forever record this shameful fact and this alone, never mind his attempt to subvert the democratic result of the 2020 vote, renders him utterly unsuitable to assume the highest office in the land and leadership of the ‘free world’ at a time of unique uncertainty.
However, the fact that Judge Juan Merchan felt unable to impose any kind of sentence yesterday also demonstrated the inability of institutions of state and even the criminal justice system to deal with someone as brazenly dishonest and vindictive as Donald Trump.
A series of other court threats he had been facing have also melted like snow in a ditch since his emphatic re-election as president last November.
The contrast with previous presidents, even those who faced questions over their own integrity in office, could not have been more stark as they gathered for the funeral of Jimmy Carter this week.
Indeed, even as body of the 39th president was being transported by plane to lie in state this week, split screen coverage on news channels relayed a characteristically rambling and incoherent press conference by Mr Trump, notable for particularly bizarre comments suggesting possible annexation by economic or military might of the territories of Greenland, the Panama Canal and even Canada.
It was a grim reminder of the maybe that engulfed US government and politics during Mr Trump’s first term and which assuredly awaits us again when he returns to power later this month.
The potential threat to Irish interests from an aggressively protectionist regime remains to be seen.
The difference is that last time, there were at least some sensible voices surrounding Trump to attempt to constrain on the worst excesses of his personality.
Now the Republican Party has been hollowed out by Maga supporters and a rag-bag of sycophants, ideologues and crackpots appointed to key roles in his new administration.
The next four years will provide the greatest test of how much damage has been done to the system of checks and balances put in place by the founding fathers to inhibit malign players such as Trump.
