The Sticky Hands of Trump and Biden

This is the most disturbing, long-term question facing the nation even as debate rages over who is guiltier, Donald Trump or Joe Biden, for pocketing classified documents and stashing them in their homes or offices.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Ultimately, Attorney General Merrick Garland, with input from special counsels he appointed, will determine if either man broke the law and what consequences, if any, they should face. The fact that many Americans don’t trust Garland to base his conclusions purely on legal considerations is equally troublesome in an era when such investigations have become highly politicized.

Considering how former secretary of state Hillary Clinton got away with a slap on the wrist for including classified information in emails, and bearing in mind that virtually 100 percent of violations for mishandling classified material are settled with administrative sanctions and relatively minor fines, chances are that the Biden probe will turn out to be a bonfire, rather than a five-alarm fire, as former presidential advisor David Axelrod contends.

If Axelrod’s assessment proves to be accurate, the newest revelations won’t undermine Biden’s reelection chances in 2024. But if Biden gets off the hook, it will be harder for Garland to justify throwing the book at Trump.