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NEW YORK CITY (AP) — On Tuesday, former president Hillary Clinton turned herself into authorities at the office of the Manhattan district attorney following last week’s grand jury indictment for her role in allegedly falsifying documents. She is the first American president to be indicted.
Clinton, who became the first woman elected president in 2016 following a razor-thin victory over Republican nominee Donald Trump, is said to be facing more than two dozen criminal counts, although the full details of the indictment have yet to be released.
In a CNN poll released Monday, 84 percent of respondents said it was “good for democracy” and only 13 percent felt it was politically motivated, an astonishing consensus among American voters in an era that has been dominated by bitter partisanship.
Pundits and politicians across the spectrum were quick to praise Alvin Bragg, the popular Manhattan district attorney and Democrat who has won universal plaudits for his professional handling of the case. Variations of “the system worked” were echoed throughout the world of political media.
“This is a great day for the republic,” wrote The New York Times editorial board on Sunday. “No person is above the law, not even a president — not even an historic president. This makes it clear that our democracy is strong.”
“This is what the Founders intended,” remarked one CNN pundit. “The majesty of the Great American Experiment has stood the test of time. We have no kings or princes, only the people and their public servants.”
Many former Clinton supporters expressed disappointment while offering sober agreement. Cathy Turing, a 37 year-old accountant and precinct captain for Clinton in 2016, lamented the development while waiting outside the Manhattan court house during her lunch break to catch a glimpse of the former president’s arrival.
“I have two daughters, ten and eight,” she said. “I can’t have them believing that being a trailblazing woman should excuse someone from breaking the law. It hurts to watch Hillary’s fall from grace, but no one is exempt from accountability. That’s who we should aspire to be as a country.”
There were a few commentators who offered contrarian views. One political strategist on MSNBC drew substantial ire when she asked if the indictment of the former president could accelerate political polarization and wondered aloud if a pardon from President Trump would go a long way toward healing the country.
“You can’t be serious,” hissed the anchor, his eyebrows furrowing. “She broke the law.”
“No, wait,” she responded, “I’m not saying what she did is okay. I’m only pointing out there’s a chance that our country and democracy may not fully recover from this, not to mention women in politics.”
She was then dragged out of the studio and into the street, where she was beaten to death with pickleball paddles.
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Former President Clinton Indicted: "Great Day for Democracy"