WATCH: Adam Schiff Explains The Danger Of Failing To Prosecute Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been accused of criminal activity since before he started his 2016 political campaign, but since his election, the allegations have only increased, ranging from campaign finance violations to efforts to blackmail the leader of another nation into smearing his re-election opponent, to a conspiracy to overturn the results after he lost in November of 2020. Throughout it all, the same questions have come up again and again: Will he ever face any real consequences? If so, what will indicting a former President of the United States do to the nation?

The latter question, in fact, in a slightly different form — as he was then still the current president — resulted in a Justice Department opinion that to prosecute Trump at that time would be dangerous indeed:

The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.

In fact, it has even been alleged that this opinion is the real reason Trump fought so hard to maintain the office after losing — because he feared criminal prosecution for a number of actions.

What’s the risk, though, of indictment after the accused is out of office? Adam Schiff explains that whatever problems that may cause, they don’t compare to the dangers of giving a former president permanent immunity.

Adam Schiff on CBS on possibility of prosecuting Trump: "Immunizing a former POTUS who has engaged in wrongdoing … I think is more dangerous than anything else." pic.twitter.com/4LGJvvBsK0

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“It’s certainly not a step to be taken lightly at all. At the same time, immunizing a former president who has engaged in wrongdoing, I would agree with our vice chair, I think is more dangerous than anything else. And the decision not to move forward with an investigation or not to move forward with a prosecution, because of someone’s political status, or political influence, or because they have a following, to me that is a far more dangerous thing to our constitution than following the evidence wherever it leads, including when it leads to a former president.”