Where The Mighty Have Fallen

While the question of whether or not the charges brought forward against Trump are justified is up for the courts to decide, the fact that he is being held accountable for his actions (while others do not) raises questions around the equal application of the rule of law with phrases like ”banana republic” being thrown around.

However, as Statista’s Felix Richter notes, the United States is by no means the first country to prosecute a former president, even if Trump’s indictment is a first in the nation’s long history.

As the following chart illustrates, former leaders from all over the world, including wealthy democracies such as France and South Korea, have been charged or jailed after their time in office.

You will find more infographics at Statista

According to research conducted by Axios, leaders who left office since 2000 have been jailed or prosecuted in at least 78 countries, the vast majority of these cases being related to corruption and/or illegal campaign financing.