Since Republicans now believe that the arrests are politically motivated, and that Democrats are defecting against longstanding political norms, they are pressuring their politicians to escalate
The problem is that Donald Trump in turn broke democratic norms hugely on January 6th 2021. And so if you don’t prosecute him in any way for it, that just sends a signal instead that such things will go unpunished, and therefore, why not try them every time?
The rift and erosion of unspoken norms are a problem either way. But the question is which one is the biggest, and appeasement in general doesn’t have a great history of working.
The problem is that Donald Trump in turn broke democratic norms hugely on January 6th 2021. And so if you don’t prosecute him in any way for it, that just sends a signal instead that such things will go unpunished, and therefore, why not try them every time?
The rift and erosion of unspoken norms are a problem either way. But the question is which one is the biggest, and appeasement in general doesn’t have a great history of working.