Trump unfit for office, but hush money charges are political: Romney

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
5 Apr 2023 11:35

Long-time opponent Republican Senator Mitt Romney comes for the defense of Donald Trump who is facing 34 charges by the Manhattan DA's office.

Mitt Romney shakes then-President Donald Trump's hand, in November 2016. (AFP)

Senator Mitt Romney criticized the Manhattan district attorney’s office for the way it has handled former President Donald Trump’s case.

Romney said in a statement, “I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda.” He added, “The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.”

Although Mitt Romney came to the defense of Trump in this instance, he has long been a critic of the billionaire. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump in both impeachment trials. He even went as far as considering that the ex-President’s character and conduct makes him “unfit for office.”

Romney was joined in voting by six other Republicans who condemned the former President during his run, one of whom is Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana who took a similar stance to Romney’s. Cassidy saw the prosecution as “less about the crime and more about the target,” telling Fox News that “this particular problem is going to lead to all kinds of political theater."

Lisa Murkowski, another Republican Senator who voted to convict Trump, said, “The reality is that no one is above the law, whether you are a sitting president or a former president, no one is above the law.” She added, “I do feel that this will be made into more of a political issue, pitting Americans one against another.”

#Trump, who’s running for president in 2024, is facing multiple criminal probes and was indicted by a grand jury in New York over his illegal #hushmoney payment case. pic.twitter.com/wVLMgAkQKM
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 31, 2023

Trump faces 34 felony counts related to the hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.

McDougal is a former Trump Tower doorman who tried “to sell information regarding a child that the defendant (Trump) had allegedly fathered out of wedlock,” according to the prosecutors.

Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday on all 34 charges after he appeared at the Manhattan court.

Trump believes that his trial is politically motivated. Previously, he issued a statement in which he referred to the trial as a “witch-hunt.”

Trump believes that the move is an attempt by Democrats to meddle with the 2024 presidential elections. Polls have shown that over 50% of Republicans want to see him back in the office.

In his statement, Trump described the current events as “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history."

He added that “the Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable — indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference.”

He further accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg of doing President Biden’s “dirty work”. Alvin Bragg argued that the DA’s office was forced to pursue the case due to the presented evidence which indicates illegal activity.

“We today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law,” Bragg told reporters. “No amount of money, no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”

On the other hand, Biden has expressed his disinterest in the legal persecution of his predecessor. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained, "Obviously he will catch part of the news when he has a moment to catch up on news of the day but this is not a focus for him."