Sen. Margaret Chase Smith will be rolling over in her grave over Sen. Collins’ dismissal of the conviction of a demagogue by a jury of his peers.

Trump was, in fact, prosecuted because of who he is, as Collins said. He is a criminal with a trail of offenses that helped him become president. Had he not been elected president, the crimes would have gone undetected. Because he rose to a level of maximum visibility, his crimes were noticed and prosecuted, as it should be.

Dismissing the conviction by saying the prosecution was political belies the facts that the crimes were committed and that a nonpolitical jury found the ex-president guilty. The senator’s position undermines the rule of law and the criminal justice system, and it makes sense only through a political lens.

Teg Glendon
South Portland