Abraham Lincoln ended his first inauguration with this sentence. “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely, they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration in 1861

Becoming the president of the United States on March 4, 1861, wasn’t a situation that any president would have wanted. The Confederate States of America had been created, with seven Southern States having succeeded from the Union. The following month would mark the beginning of the Civil War. Lincoln understood America’s past and wove that reality in his better angel’s reference.

Initially, Lincoln was more concerned about keeping our nation together than dealing with slavery. However, less than two years later, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the South. Lincoln reflected upon the Emancipation Proclamation, “If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act.” At the end of the Civil War, the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution outlawed slavery.

On November 19, 1863, Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, which ends with these words, “...we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

That was the backstory; the present-day story is about the Donald the Dumb, our former president, and his legal programs. Trump didn’t want to leave the White House after he was defeated. No evidence was found after all the swing state ballots were recounted. Trump lost the election.

Therefore, Trump had another card to play. On January 6, Trump spoke at his protest rally, the Save America March, on the Ellipse in front of the South Lawn of the White House. He had a five-hour pep rally, with Trump as the featured last speaker. He wanted to march down to the Capitol with his supporters.

Finally, Trump ended his diatribe by threatening Pence to support him in the Electoral College vote count. Trump’s yes-man, Pence, said no. So, Trump had his protesters march to the Capitol, which resulted in a failed insertion.

Today, three years later, Trump will march into the Manhattan courthouse, where he is facing 34 counts of falsifying his business records. The intent of falsifying them related to influencing the 2016 presidential election. The state contends that paying hush money to two women was done to affect the election.

Lincoln ended his first inaugural address with the phrase “better angels.” Trump’s trial starts today, and we hear about some of his worst demons. Unfortunately, they go beyond these mundane ones.

Time will tell how Trump deals with them. Trump still faces two federal cases and one Georgia case.

Finally, Lincoln reflected upon his Emancipation Proclamation and said, “If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act.” Today, Trump is facing his first criminal trial. I wonder what he will think after this case and the other three cases are resolved regarding how history will remember him.