The many trials of Donald Trump will have an unpredictable effect on American politics. But they are already having an all too predictable impact on world affairs. The various prosecutions faced by the former president are fuelling a global surge in “whataboutism”.

Trump tried to subvert democracy, and he deserves to be held to account. But the spectacle of a leading candidate in the next US presidential election facing possible imprisonment is still a gift for authoritarian governments.

Financial Times