Former George W. Bush aide Karl Rove warned in a new op-ed that the federal indictment of former President Trump over his mishandling of classified documents will come at a high cost to him and the country.
“No matter the outcome, America will pay a heavy price for the reckless petulance of the former president. So will he,” Rove wrote in a Wall Street Journal Opinion Edition.
Rove, who served as Bush’s senior adviser and deputy chief of staff, wrote that the country has been “plunged into an unprecedented crisis” after Trump was indicted on 37 felonies last week. The former president pleaded not guilty to the 37 charges on Tuesday, as he maintains that the federal case against him is a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the government’s weaponization.
Rove said the indictment is far more serious than Trump’s indictment in connection with the falsification of business records in Manhattan court, where he also pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this year.
“Unlike Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s charges of falsifying business records, this indictment is devastating because of the rigor of the evidence and the seriousness of the alleged crimes,” Rove wrote. “However, the case will further tear our country apart as it has a major impact on the presidential campaign and wrongly undermines confidence in our justice system.”
“The blame for this calamity rests solely with Mr. Trump and his childish impulse to keep memories of his time in the Oval Office, regardless of what the law says,” he added.
Rove also wrote that when Trump’s trial ends, the county will face a “period of anger, division and recrimination” as some Republicans call for law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, are deleted. He said the call to cut funding to an agency like the FBI is “no different than destroying the San Francisco Police Department.”
He also suggested that if Trump had not taken his “precious memories” with him, then the country might have avoided the divisive consequences of his impeachment.
Rove, who is also a Fox News contributor, has criticized the former president in the past, saying in April that Trump’s approach to mocking his rivals is “no intelligent”. He also said earlier this month that voters could learn a lot about political candidates “how they trade blows”, pointing to Trump’s ongoing feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who announced his White House bid last month.
