Irish Examiner view: US justice system on trial with Trump

It is vital to question what passes for truth in the wonderland spun by Trump, and the integrity of democracy depends on it

Donald Trump could be on his way to serve a lengthy jail sentence, or he could find himself back in the White House. Picture: Sue Ogrocki/AP

It seems fitting that former US president Donald J Trump faced a federal court in Washington on Thursday just a short distance from the US Capitol where his supporters stormed Congress in 2021 in a thwarted attempt to block Joe Biden’s election victory.

While Mr Trump is not accused of inciting that riot, he is accused of obstructing “a bedrock function of the US government”, to use the damning description delivered by US justice department special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday.