The roots of the criminal cases against former President Trump stemming from his 2020 election loss.
This March, former President Donald Trump is scheduled to begin standing trial on federal conspiracy and obstruction charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., in connection with efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. What are the roots of the federal criminal case against Trump, who is now the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and who says the charges against him are politically motivated? How did the country arrive at this fraught and historic moment: A U.S. president charged with trying to subvert democracy while in office? How has Trump challenged the case? And what are the stakes?
Frontline investigates these questions in Democracy on Trial, a 2.5-hour documentary special that offers television’s most comprehensive look at what led to Trump’s upcoming federal trial. Gripping and illuminating, the newest film from Frontline’s award-winning political team, Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser and Vanessa Fica, traces the road to this unprecedented moment, and examines the implications of the historic criminal case unfolding in the midst of a presidential election year.