Attorney General Merrick Garland has said on numerous occasions that in the United States the rule of law means that the same laws apply to all.

That includes former presidents, in his estimation. Asked at a press conference last year whether Donald Trump could face charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, an animated Mr. Garland said that “no person” is above the law.

But in practice, any prosecution of Mr. Trump would be uniquely difficult and politically fraught, as a big story in The Washington Post this week made clear.

The story details how FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors argued before executing a search warrant to recover classified documents at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence last August.

Prosecutors were pushing for action. Agents were reluctant. They were cautious about a step they considered momentous – and feared it could spark a backlash that could damage their careers.

“Trump’s disinformation campaign against law enforcement appears to be working, which should concern all of us,” tweeted former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti on Wednesday.

Mr. Trump has said the main legal cases against him are political witch hunts pushed by Democrats to derail his 2024 presidential campaign.

Meanwhile the possibility of indictments looms larger. Special counsel Jack Smith is pursuing federal investigations into the Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago cases. Mr. Trump also faces a Georgia election-interference case and scrutiny from Manhattan prosecutors over alleged hush money payments to a porn star.

Prosecutors may yet drop these cases. But an indictment would be huge news that could have immense consequences for the developing 2024 presidential race.