Donald Trump, the only U.S. president ever convicted of a crime, built his brand on law-and-order rhetoric. But his actions in office tell a different story—one defined by cronyism, abuse of power and a deep contempt for the rule of law.
The case of Jonathan Braun, a violent drug trafficker and alleged serial abuser, lays bare the consequences of Trump’s reckless use of presidential clemency.
Braun, a Long Island multimillionaire once sentenced to 10 years for running a vast international drug smuggling operation, should have been serving time.
Instead, he was freed in Trump’s final days in office through a backdoor deal orchestrated by the disgraced Kushner family. The commutation bypassed the Justice Department’s standard review process and was condemned by law enforcement as a gross miscarriage of justice.
Braun didn’t earn his freedom—he bought it. His family’s close ties to Charles Kushner, a convicted felon who was also pardoned by Trump, secured a last-minute favor that allowed Braun to walk out of prison years ahead of schedule.
In return, Braun traded information about other crimes, including a violent loan-sharking operation where he allegedly threatened small business owners. The deal derailed an ongoing federal investigation and handed a dangerous man back to the public.
What followed was a one-man crime spree.
Since his release, Braun has been arrested five times on charges ranging from domestic violence to sexual assault. Prosecutors say he punched a guest in the face, shoved his toddler to the ground, and swung an IV pole at a nurse while threatening to kill medical staff. He’s accused of sexually assaulting a live-in nanny, threatening fellow worshippers at a synagogue and evading dozens of bridge tolls in luxury cars.
This is the man Trump chose to protect.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ruled that Braun had violated his parole and now faces up to five years back in federal prison. His sentencing is set for Oct. 9.
The damage has been done. Trump’s decision to free Braun, a known violent offender, is now part of a broader legacy of lawlessness that stained his presidency.
Trump’s abuse of clemency extended far beyond Braun.
In total, he issued blanket pardons to more than 1,500 terrorists involved in the failed Jan. 6 2021 coup d’etat. Critics say the move not only excused a violent attempt to overturn a democratic election—it sent a dangerous message: that political violence in service of Trump would be rewarded.
Trump used clemency like political currency, favoring allies, friends and loyalists while gutting the credibility of the justice system.
He weaponized the Justice Department, turning it against critics and shielding associates from prosecution. Under his direction, law enforcement was no longer an institution of fairness, but a tool of retribution.
He deployed military troops in American cities to quell protests, overriding state and local objections in a sweeping use of force rarely seen on domestic soil.
He expanded secretive deportation programs, targeted Muslims and immigrants, and revived discriminatory practices to remove due process protections from thousands of people.
While other presidents have pushed the limits of executive power, Trump systematically dismantled the legal safeguards meant to restrain it.
His presidency is a calculated attempt to hollow out American democracy and replace it with a system based on personal loyalty and unchecked authority.
Jonathan Braun is not just another criminal. He is a symbol of what happens when power is used not to protect the public, but to reward the connected and punish the powerless. His release was not justice—it was a warning.
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