> “We shouldn’t hold politicians accountable for their crimes because their supporters won’t like it”

This is not the point OP is making. The point is that there is deep divide, and this is populist move from once side trying to remove one of the contenders from the race (ironically, dems would be better off if they would allow Trump to run since then they are likelier to win).

This move is extremely dangerous since it is directed on ex-president. If presidents know that once they will leave office others side would come for their head, guess what, they would not leave office. Dictatorship, police state, potential civil war, and risk it for what? For getting cheap brownie points agains washed-out politician?

I love seeing politicians piss in their pants as much as the next guy. Hopefully the charges aren't politically motivated, but if they are that's where I think things get dicey. The law being applied more strongly and more rigorously if you are a political enemy is both difficult to prove and insidious, and it undermines the democratic process. I have no idea if this is the case with trump, or the prosecution is just a coincidence.

You see this applied elsewhere... for instance police may target black areas. Sure the black people they arrest may actually be committing crime and the arrests may be valid, while still achieving an insidious quality of policing.