Rhode Island political expert: ‘Our democracy is not necessarily guaranteed’

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States, was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records Monday in New York’s Supreme Court.

Providence College’s Dr. Joseph Cammarano, associate professor of political science, fears Tuesday’s arraignment could impact the nation long term.

“This is a solemn day for those who care about American politics and study the presidency,” said Cammarano. “If Americans lose faith in the ability of the court system to actually be impartial and nonpartisan, that’s a very serious problem and it indicates that our democracy is not necessarily guaranteed for the next generation.”

Trump potentially faces further indictments in the future.

Cammarano added, “The problem is that we no longer think that if we lose it’s a fair outcome. The reality is that everybody wants to win, and we have to stop doing that when it comes to the law.”

Former President Trump was arrested, processed, and pled not guilty to the charges in front of a judge. He flew back to Mar-a-Lago Tuesday afternoon.

Cammarano warned of a potential court ruling, “If we can’t live with [it], then we probably don’t want democracy anymore. But that is something that I hope everybody agrees with me we want to retain. We should all just behave, relax, and let the law take its course.”

Trump is the first former U.S. president to be indicted.