DW.com, January 2025
The U.S. Declaration of Independence has many well-known lines, among them that “all men are created equal.” However, recent decisions by U.S. courts have suggested otherwise, as the federal justice department has determined the nation’s president, unlike his peers, is shielded from criminal prosecution. This disparity is further highlighted by the return of Donald Trump to the White House, this time as the first convicted felon to become president.
Trump faced no constitutional barriers to taking the highest office, and his November election victory was uncontested by the opposing party. Despite this, observers continue to question whether Trump should have been handed a custodial sentence for his conviction, whether other charges against him should have been pursued, and what his return to the presidency as a felon means for the rule of law in the U.S.
