Westminster watches with a mix of disbelief and dark amusement as the US Justice Department makes a move that would make Machiavelli blush. It is targeting a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault. The same department that spent years investigating Trump’s alleged misdeeds is now probing his accuser. The message is clear. There are consequences for taking on a president.
This is not a simple legal matter. It is a power play. A warning shot. The Justice Department, under Attorney General William Barr, is leaning on a woman who dared to speak out. The investigation is extraordinary in its scope and its timing. It comes as Trump faces a Senate impeachment trial. It smells of retribution.
Back in London, Downing Street is watching with quiet alarm. The special relationship relies on a shared belief in the rule of law. This move undermines that. British diplomats are privately expressing concern. They fear it sets a dangerous precedent. If the US can weaponise its justice system against political opponents, what is to stop others?
Labour MPs are already drawing parallels to Boris Johnson’s recent battles with the judiciary. Some see a pattern. Populist leaders attacking inconvenient legal processes. The shadow attorney general has been quick to condemn. “This is the abuse of power writ large,” she said in a hastily arranged interview.
But the Tories are staying silent. They know they have their own problems with the rule of law. The prorogation debacle is still fresh. They do not want to throw stones from a glass house.
Inside the Westminster village, the gossip is ferocious. Lobby hacks are digging into the accuser’s past. Is this a genuine criminal investigation or a fishing expedition? The leaks are coming fast. Someone in the Justice Department is briefing against her. That is a sign of a political operation, not a normal prosecution.
The accuser’s lawyer is shouting about a “sham.” He claims the investigation is designed to intimidate other potential witnesses. He may be right. The message is received by every woman who has thought about coming forward. Think twice.
What does this mean for the general election? Not much directly. Most voters are focused on Brexit or the NHS. But it feeds a narrative. A narrative that the elites are above the law. That is dangerous for trust in democracy.
Donors are watching too. Republican funders are gleeful. They see this as a way to rally the base. But swing voters might be turned off. Independents do not like blatant unfairness.
The European angle is interesting. Brussels has long worried about the erosion of democratic norms in the US. This will not ease their fears. European leaders are likely to issue carefully worded statements about the importance of judicial independence. But they will do little else. They have their own problems.
Back here, the main question is whether this will embolden Johnson. His allies are eyeing opportunities to crack down on what they see as a biased civil service. If the Americans can do it, why not us? That is the dangerous logic.
For now, the story is still unfolding. But one thing is certain. The rules of the game have changed. And not for the better.
This is Eleanor Rigby, watching the shadow play from a dark corner of a Whitehall pub. Over and out.
