The sun rose on a new America today: One where a former president and top presidential contender can get indicted for what liberal legal icon Alan Dershowitz calls “the most abusive case I’ve ever seen.” Still the sun did rise.

A Walk on Presidential Memory Lane

It’s hard to wrap your head around it in one sense: Joe Biden can use the office of the Vice Presidency to generate millions of dollars for himself and his family from China, have his son use a top-level FBI official — perhaps a former FBI director himself — to warn China of pending investigations, and no prosecutor has lifted a finger.

Hillary Clinton can spend millions of dollars, enlist the help of half the federal government, to frame Donald Trump for “Trump-Russia Collusion” to distract from investigations into how she and her husband parlayed their government positions and her potential presidency into a massive windfall for their “Clinton Foundation.” She can claim the expense on her campaign finance reforms as “legal expenses.” No prosecution. Just a little FEC fine.

And think about it for a second. Trump is accused of using private money through his lawyer to keep an alleged affair from public eyes. Bill Clinton we know used taxpayer money with help from his lawyer to secure Monica Lewinsky a cushy Pentagon job to keep their affair from public eyes.

In that case it backfired because Lewinsky while in that cushy Pentagon job was befriended by Linda Tripp, who not only recorded her conversations with the young woman about the affair, but convinced her to preserve the infamous stained blue dress.

Clinton was caught dead to rights. No prosecution.

Democrats have to ask themselves this morning, when they awake from the hangover of last night’s jubilee: Are we sure we want to go down this road? Do we want indicting presidents to be a normal thing? You think if Joe Biden is cognizant this morning he doesn’t see the writing on the wall? In Chinese. And Ukrainian?

As I say, it’s the Second Law of Snake News. “Any road you go down with Trump you run into a superhighway named Clinton, Obama or Biden.”

What’s Trump’s Attitude This Morning?

Trump’s in “good spirits,” spokeswoman Liz Harrington told Just the News last night. “He will fight this all the way, but he’s not going to stop his campaign. He’s not going to stop running for the American people and getting his message out.”

So far this morning, Trump’s been rolling out clips on Truth Social of harsh reaction to the indictment from assorted news shows and talking heads.

With a wry one thrown in.

His campaign did send out a fund-raising appeal last night. Can’t wait to see how much cha-ching that brings in. Today’s the last day of the fiscal quarter. So the campaign will be able to revel in spiked up Q1 fund-raising numbers. Perhaps even the kind of numbers that will make potential competitors think twice about jumping in. How’s this for a headline: “Alvin Bragg Forces DeSantis Out of Race.”

Trump’s Opponents Weigh In

Ron DeSantis would be one who has a hard decision to make. DeSantis blasted the indictment, saying as Trump’s governor in Florida he won’t be party to any extradition. If DeSantis gets in the race, he’s giving tacit approval, despite his words, that this political weaponization of the judicial system is okay. If he says, “I’m not getting in. I’m backing Trump 100% specifically because this persistent persecution is so wrong for America,” he walks into the Oval Office in 2029.

Assuming he’s not thrown in prison for, oh, kicking dolphins at Sea World … or some other phony charge. Make no mistake. They’ve got him in their sights too.

Former VP Mike Pence called the indictment “an outrage.”

Nikki Haley posted “This is more about revenge than it is about justice.”

Vivek Ramaswamy said in a tweet “It is un-American for the ruling party to use political power to arrest its political rivals. Let the American people decide who governs.”

The politically motivated indictment of the 45th President of the United States marks a dark moment in American history. It will undermine public trust in our electoral system & justice system. It is un-American for the ruling party to use police power to arrest its political… pic.twitter.com/BFcSlJ0OWO

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) March 30, 2023

Think of it, Democrats. Forcing Trump out, you’re not even letting illegals and dead people decide!

Oh, Brothers

It’s kind of fun to read the reaction of Trump’s two eldest sons, if only as a testament to the different temperaments brothers can have.

From Eric: “This is third world prosecutorial misconduct. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year.”

From Don Jr.: “This is communist-level s***.”

Junior also had a warning for Republicans who might shy away from this fight.

So let’s be very clear, because there were a couple of Republicans, people who have proven themselves to be RINOs while trying to wear the MAGA cap, let’s be clear for those people who said, ‘It’s not real, Trump’s making it up, It’s not a real issue for us.’ If you don’t think that the weaponization of the entire federal government against their political enemies, against the voters half of the country approximately as we’ve seen… If you don’t think that’s a problem, you don’t even belong in any position in government, let alone president.

“You know, I get you can have your sound bites and you can do your nonsense and pretend you’re doing great and hire your influencers. But if you don’t think that’s an issue, guess what? Just wait till they come for you. Because they will.

How Did She Become Speaker Without Knowing How America is Supposed to Work?

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a rather astounding reaction to the indictment. She upended 250 years of American jurisprudence. Just for Donald Trump. He should be flattered.

The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law.

No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence.

Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right.

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 31, 2023

Catch that? For Donald Trump, there’s no such thing as innocent until proven guilty. Even Twitter noticed.

Another point. How in the world does she know the Grand Jury acted upon the facts and the law? Their proceedings are supposed to be secret. And if they acted on the facts and the law it is sure news to liberal legal scholars like Alan Dershowitz and Jonathan Turley.

Turley Rips the Legal Contortions and Inventions Used to Bring the Case

Turley calls the indictment a “patently political prosecution” that should not be happening.

You’re taking something that has a statute of limitations of two years and trying to bring it back to life seven years later. But also, you have the Manhattan D.A. trying to effectively litigate a federal crime that the federal government didn’t feel needed to be litigated, didn’t bring to court. All of that is troubling in and of itself. But you then combine that with the timing here. We’re in the middle of a presidential election, and you have Bragg going to these extraordinary steps to try to prosecute Donald Trump.

As for rumors of 34 counts …

There are reports of 34 counts. But multiplying a flawed theory 34 times does not make it 34 times stronger. Serial repetition is no substitute for viable criminal charges. https://t.co/eE4O2x6wEL

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) March 31, 2023

He’s got a full article about it out this morning called “The Trump Indictment Makes History in the Worst Possible Way.”

Ya’ Think?

You have to love this tweet from the Associated Press.

Donald Trump’s indictment throws the 2024 presidential election into uncharted territory, raising the prospect that the leading contender for the GOP nomination will seek the White House while also facing trial for criminal charges in New York. https://t.co/A2KY1Ed1Yi

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 31, 2023

Uh, isn’t that the whole point?

Driven By Fear

All told, the situation is very clear: They fear Donald Trump … and they fear the American people. Which is confusing, if as they say Joe Biden decisively defeated Trump in 2020 and any suggestion otherwise is The Big Lie. I mean, Trump should be an afterthought. Another defeated candidate faded out of the limelight (Mike Dukakis) or humiliatingly clawing for recognition (Mitt Romney, Al Gore, John Kerry).

Or in Trump’s case, headlining a top-rated reboot of Celebrity Apprentice.

Yet they keep trying to take Trump out. Why? Trump is fond of saying “They’re not coming after me. They’re coming after you. I’m just standing in their way.”

This indictment is further proof. The American people should be the ones to decide if they’re over Trump. Or a cad for even hanging out with Stormy Daniels. A few months back, it appeared the Republican base was ready to say “Love ya’, 45. But we’re ready to move on with Ron.” But the numbers have changed. Since Trump’s visit to East Palestine, his numbers have been climbing. Word of the pending political prosecution sent the numbers even higher. Trump looks set to get the nomination and shred Biden or whoever is thrown in his path.

And now suddenly, the case that was rejected on every level for seven years pops up like a cicada. Suddenly the waters for voters have been muddied and impeded. Suddenly we face another attempt to take a free and fair election out of our hands.

Perhaps we should take it as a complement, take it as a challenge, and take it to them.

Taking it on the chin — yet again — Is not an option.

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and now at TRUTH Social.