In a prior letter, I warned of the danger of a president with a private militia. That danger is now fully realized with President Trump’s pardon of the leaders and some members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Those convicted criminals engaged in and or promoted assaults on police, destruction of property and interference with the conduct of government.

Independently, the Supreme Court has determined that the president is immune from criminal responsibility for actions taken under the color of presidential authority. As a result, we now have the imperfect storm of a private militia with the apparent authority to ignore the law in service of a president who may use that militia to support his goals without regard for the law.

President Trump made no secret of his promise to pardon the Jan. 6 criminals, and his campaign made perfectly clear he intended to carry out that promise. His election, he believes, authorizes him to do any and all things he promised in his campaign. Now, he can use illegal force through his private militia, guarantee pardons to those arrested and assert presidential immunity to avoid criminal responsibility. To what do we owe this “imperfect storm?” The short-sightedness of the Supreme Court coupled with an electorate that focused on narrow personal interests.

Richard Hesse

Hopkinton