FARGO — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who really doesn’t want to be governor of North Dakota anymore, was in New York City on Tuesday to help his master and commander Donald Trump undermine the U.S. criminal justice system and our rule of law. It’s already been determined Burgum is willing to sell whatever is left of his soul to obtain power in a second Trump administration, but now the governor is willing to sell one of our nation’s cherished institutions down the river, too.
It’s one thing to debase yourself by overlooking Trump’s sexual dalliances with porn stars, his being held civilly liable for rape, his sketchy business practices, his unending stream of lies, his clear cognitive decline, his racism and, hey, even his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election by having his thugs raid the U.S. Capitol.
“It wasn’t Trump’s fault. It was just some tourists who got out of hand.”
Whatever. The sniff of the vice presidency is a powerful drug. Burgum isn’t the first small-time governor to lust for power. He won’t be the last. As long as he doesn’t shoot his dog and brag about it, he’s got a shot at being a consigliere in a Trump administration.
If Burgum’s performance Tuesday is any indicator, it’s a slam dunk.
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The governor showed up at Trump’s trial in Manhattan with Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and tech guru and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — comically all dressed in nearly identical Trump-like costumes of dark suits, white shirts and red ties — to show their support as former fixer Michael Cohen presented damning testimony in Trump’s alleged coverup to hide hush money payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels.
A Daily Beast report said none of the three looked particularly interested in the actual testimony as they sat like stooges behind Trump in the courtroom, and they all left mid-trial to hold a brief press conference outside.
It was then that Burgum showed his colors, repeating his oft-used line that the proceedings against Trump are a “sham trial” and a “scam trial.” Later on CNN, Burgum called the trial “politically motivated” and accused the judge, the judge’s daughter and prosecutors of being Democrats who support President Joe Biden.
These are words parroting what Trump himself said in describing the trial before the judge slapped on a gag order.
A sham. Politically motivated. A biased judge.
Curtis Means / Pool via Reuters
Burgum is openly participating in undermining the judiciary. Of undercutting the rule of law. Of helping turn the American people against the idea that the court system, while not perfect, is to be protected as one of the underpinnings of a strong democracy.
The words Burgum and all the the other toadies use aren’t to defend Trump or maintain his innocence, they are to call into question the justice system. They are to state the case that the system is rigged against Trump (it isn’t) and all Republicans (it isn’t), to give the former president cover that he’s above the law (he isn’t) and if it wasn’t for this unfair justice system he could get away with his crimes.
In pursuit of his narcisstic personal goals, Burgum has entered new territory. He no longer supports Trump strictly on policies like more oil drilling, tax cuts and fewer regulations. He’s now bought into Trump’s playbook of undermining democratic institutions in pursuit of power. The authoritarian playbook.
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Burgum isn’t telling you Trump is innocent.
He’s telling you the American justice system isn’t to be trusted if it prosecutes Trump.
Doug is smart. He knows the difference.
Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while he was a student studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He’s been with The Forum full time since 1990, minus a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk-show.
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