The Trump circus continues its historic run

This is the Theme of the Week edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on Instag [Bloomberg]( This is the Theme of the Week edition of [Bloomberg Opinion Today](, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. Follow us on [Instagram](, [TikTok](, [Twitter](, [Threads]( and [Facebook](. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump was [indicted again]( on Thursday, this time on charges of conspiracy and obstruction related to his efforts to maintain the presidency after the 2020 election — efforts that led to a deadly insurrection just blocks away from the Washington courthouse where he was arraigned. Trump now faces a total of [78 criminal counts]( in three different cases; in a civil case decided in May, he was found [liable for the sexual abuse]( of journalist E. Jean Carroll. So? “[Trump’s supporters and defenders]( have accepted all of that — and often revel in it — because he traffics deftly in their resentments and aspirations,” Timothy O’Brien writes. “His most devoted voters see him as an authentic and dedicated advocate. His most forgiving allies, particularly Republicans who know better, see him as a useful idiot.” Even the House’s Jan. 6 committee revealed that plenty of people [within Trump’s circle]( had told the then-president that he lost the election and had no evidence to prove otherwise. Even Bill Barr, Trump’s attorney general, called his claims of a fraudulent election “complete nonsense” (along with plenty of other colorful [descriptives](). On Wednesday, “he left every impression that [he considers Donald Trump guilty as charged]( for engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow the republic,” says Francis Wilkinson. And yet, he writes, Barr told CNN he might not have moved forward with the case against Trump, and hasn’t ruled out supporting him in 2024. “At the core of the momentous decision to indict Trump for conspiring to overthrow the 2020 election are [questions of good faith](,” writes Clive Crook. “Trump’s allies and enemies take the other side’s bad faith for granted. His supporters say he acted as he did because he believed [the election was stolen](, and they see the prosecution as political. His opponents are equally certain of Trump’s dishonesty and Smith’s fair-mindedness.” Such divisions have created an [us vs. them dynamic](, Stephen Carter tells us, and that’s a tale as old as politics itself. Many of Trump’s supporters see him as a working-class hero who embodies the sense “that ‘they’ would never go after one their own this way. The less voters trust the government, the less they’ll trust prosecutors who accuse their hero of crimes.” As Clive writes, “The curse of contemporary American politics is that good tactics and good government seem for the moment to be [diametrically opposed](.” But Bloomberg’s editorial board hasn’t given up hope: “There’s [still time for the party]( to rally around one of many plausible alternatives seeking the nomination and leave this whole sordid show behind,” the editors write. Trump is currently the [front-runner]( for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination. What’s a country to do? More Trump Vs. Democracy Reading: - [Republican Voters Are Pushing Their Party Toward a Shutdown]( — Jonathan Bernstein - [Trump Indictment Defends America’s Battered Democracy]( — Noah Feldman - [Biden Says Democracy Is Winning. It's Not That Simple.]( — Niall Ferguson - [Outrage Is Currency and RFK Jr. Really Stirs It Up]( — F.D. Flam - [Has Democracy Reached the End of Its History?]( — Tobin Harshaw Follow Us You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](