Golf and 'worry' about criminal prosecution will keep Trump busy despite impeachment acquittal
After watching the first two days of his impeachment trial from his current private residence in Florida, former President Donald Trump got a little bored and resumed his daily routine of playing golf. After his impeachment acquittal on Saturday, it seems there is one more activity that will keep him occupied apart from his beloved golf: worrying about criminal prosecution over the January 6 riots.
A report says that Trump has privately shared concerns that he could be criminally prosecuted over his role in the US Capitol riots. "He's worried about it," one adviser close to Trump told CNN, saying that Trump had remained mostly silent since leaving the White House due to fears of potential criminal liability. Even top Republicans who voted to acquit suggested that criminal charges could be warranted.
Meanwhile, Daily Mail published photos of the ex-POTUS hitting the links at his West Palm Beach golf course Thursday, January 11, as it became clear that he was heading for acquittal. He was seen donning a white golf shirt during an afternoon golf outing. Since moving to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on January 20, he has been a regular on the course. Trump arrived at his Trump National Golf Club before 1 pm, and spent hours on the course preferring to forgo watching the Democratic House managers make a case against the rioters who "desecrated" the Capitol, insisting that they were "following his orders."
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Instead of his favorite MAGA hat on Thursday, he wore a hat and shirt featuring his family crest, revealed years ago to have been lifted from another coat of arms. The outlet reported that the former president indicated that he was playing at a leisurely pace after he was seen putting on the 14th hole of the course more than three hours into his game. Members of his Secret Service detail could be seen stowing away rifles that were stored in vehicles that make up his motorcade - the privilege of protection that Trump would enjoy for the rest of his life as the former leader of the nation.
The photos of him golfing came a day after we reported that Trump was getting "increasingly frustrated" over the sharp contrast between his legal team's underwhelming response and the prosecution's opening statement on the first day of the trial that he watched on the TV, which included a video presentation of Trump's alleged call for people to march to the Capitol falsely claiming that the elections were "stolen" from him prior to the failed insurrection attempt at the US Capitol. Trump was reportedly screaming as Bruce Castor, who fumbled through the opening argument, struggled to get to the heart of the team's argument regarding the constitutionality of the trial.
Politico also reported that some people close to his defense team quit watching the proceedings out of sheer frustration with Castor's presentation and were confused by his refusal to use graphics or a video — which Trump had hoped to use. The publication also reported that Trump had been watching Newsmax throughout the day, according to a person familiar with the former President's viewing habits. However, The Guardian commented that it was not known which network Trump was watching presently.
However, after his acquittal, many Republicans suggested that "no president is above the law or immune from criminal prosecution." The ultimate accountability is through our criminal justice system where political passions are checked,' said Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who voted not guilty. "No president is above the law or immune from criminal prosecution, and that includes former president Trump," he added. Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who also voted to acquit, noted that though Trump is now out of office, he remains subject to the country's criminal and civil laws. "Impeachment was never meant to be the final forum for American justice. … We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former Presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one," he said. "He didn't get away with anything yet," said McConnell.
Meanwhile, federal investigators have already arrested more than 200 rioters on a range of charges over the riots and are looking at all aspects of the Capitol attack. On being asked if Trump's role was under investigation, acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin responded: "We're looking at all actors here and anyone that had a role and, if the evidence fits the elements of the crime, they're going to be charged."