Former President Donald Trump has been fined $454 million.

The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”

I wonder, in this economy today, how much should be considered to be an excessive fine? What amount would constitute a cruel punishment? How much of a fine should be called an unusual punishment? Half a million dollars? One million dollars?

I hope that soon I will hear in the news that the fine assigned to Trump has been determined to truly be an excessive fine and that it has been found that to decree a fine of $454 million violated the Constitution of the United States. What punishment should be meted out to the official who would so violate the Constitution?

Dan Manka

Fairmont, W.Va.

The writer is a Regent Square native.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)