"Crimes against humanity" is a term of art in international law describing, for example, what Nazi war criminals did in the Holocaust.
The phrase "fomenting domestic rebellion" is also a legal term of art, indicating a violation of the US Constitution, and a treasonous act.
The charge of "dereliction of duty" is military but has been applied more widely, to indicate serious lapses of responsibility by those sworn to serve the public.
All three charges were made against Trump this past week and this weekend, for three different acts.
When Trump cut off US funding to the World Health Organization for his own trumped-up reasons, hampering not only covid crisis efforts around the world but many other public health programs and therefore essentially killing people, Richard Horton, the editor-in-chief of the Lancet medical journal, wrote that it was "a crime against humanity."
Many others have made the same charge in different words. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank, for example, calls Trump's charge a "damnable and murderous lie."
When Trump tweeted and spoke in support of rebellious demonstrators (mostly his political supporters) demanding an end to covid crisis restrictions in several states, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington issued an official statement which said in part: "The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.."
“His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions.”
This on a day in which there was no decline but a new one-day record for covid 19 deaths in the US: 4,591.
The other major criteria for ending restrictions is widespread testing for the coronavirus, and the knowledge gained by such testing. But after months of insufficient effort and no real federal commitment from this administration, tests are not widely available, not even to test the sick let alone everyone.
The administration claims this is the states responsibility, but it is beyond the resources of a single state. There are not enough tests, and no national standards for tests. All of this erupted in a phone call with Democratic Senators by vp Pence and other administration figures tasked with managing covid crisis response.
During the call, Senator Angus King of Maine, reportedly said "I have never been so mad about a phone call in all my life," and called the failure of the administration to provide testing a "dereliction of duty." King ran and won as an Independent, both for governor and then senator, though he aligns with Democrats.
This looks like another dangerous moment. Trump has empowered right wing governors and is agitating his supporters, the far right is feeling it again, people are understandably looking for hope and good news and a return to a more normal life (though polls suggest an overwhelming majority still supports stay-at-home orders.) Ending restrictions too early, without adequate resources and plans, let alone knowledge, will increase suffering and deaths.
At the very best that can be said about him, Trump has lost his nerve. His actions merit the serious allegations made against him. But it is the innocent who will suffer the consequences.
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