This is a historic moment for the United States and the history of the presidency. No president has ever tried to run the country while watching his own child go on trial.   

Over the decades, there are plenty of examples of presidential family members getting in trouble. George H. W. Bush’s son faced civil penalties for violating banking laws while his father was serving in the White House. Jimmy Carter’s brother was scrutinized for his foreign lobbying. But nothing has sunk to the level of a criminal trial. 

CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said “there’s always somebody considered a black sheep…