Every U.S. politician — and especially a presidential candidate — fears an “October surprise.”
This is a revelation just days or weeks before the November ballot that would transform the race to his or her disadvantage. Efforts to prevent such surprises have led to stomach-churning behaviors that, if not illegal, are immoral and unethical.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s indictment last week was one case of a politician trying to get in front of a possible election-changing story and prevent a surprise. Other candidates or their teams have done so as well; one incident involving Ronald Reagan was seemingly confirmed only a few weeks ago. The Trump affair is merely another chapter in a sad history of U.S. politics.