The Grand jury’s decision to indict Donald J. Trump: Turning the tides of the presidency into a new phase jolting 2024

“President Donald J. Trump has just been indicted by an extremist NY District Attorney. No US President has ever been charged with a crime. Trump Derangement Syndrome has infiltrated our judicial system and if they can come for him, they can come for anyone,” Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted.

NPR can’t confirm the reports of the charges against Trump, as the grand jury’s indictment and his charges are still under seal.

The tumult of the charges and possible trial of a former president, especially since Trump and his supporters are already saying that the indictment represents the weaponized politicization of the justice system, is unprecedented in American history.

Trump released a statement in response to the indictment claiming it was “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”

The former president believes the Witch-Hunt will be bad for Joe Biden. The American people know what the Radical Left Democrats are doing. Everyone can see it. The only way we can make America great again is by defeating the corrupt Democrats in office, such as Joe Biden, and then defeating the others, so we can oust them from office.

Mr. Trump was able to transform the presidency and the rule of law by arguing that he was above the law. So it is appropriate that his actions as president and as a candidate should now be formally weighed by judges and juries, with the possibility of criminal penalties on the line. Mr. Trump badly damaged America’s political and legal institutions and threatened them again with calls for widespread protests once he is indicted. But those institutions have proved to be strong enough to hold him accountable for that harm.

Trump was caught off guard by the grand jury’s decision to indict him, according to a person who spoke directly with him While the former president was bracing for an indictment last week, he began to believe news reports that a potential indictment was weeks – or more – away.

The legal action against Trump jolts the 2024 presidential campaign into a new phase – where the former president has vowed to keep running in the face of criminal charges.

Trump insists he is innocent of all allegations, in this case as well as in several others that may pose even greater legal peril, including special counsel investigations into his hoarding of classified documents and his conduct around the 2020 election and a separate Georgia investigation into his bid to steal the election in the swing state.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office is again slamming House Republicans for their efforts to intervene in its investigation into former President Donald Trump, accusing them of collaborating with Trump to “vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges.”

The House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Bragg requesting documents, communications, and testimony related to his investigation of the former president.

The number two House Republican – Majority Leader Steve Scalise – called it “outrageous.” One of the clearest examples of extremists weaponizing government to attack their political opponents was the indictment.

We have a judge. We have jurors. There is appeals. So I think in the end, justice will be done. If he’s guilty it will show up. But if not, I think that will be shown too,” Bacon told CNN.

Indictment of a Manhattan District Attorney as a Political Attack on the Right to the Law, and the Importance of an American’s First Amendment Rights

Daniels received the money less than two weeks before the election. After Trump was elected, he reimbursed Cohen with his own personal checks. Trump has denied having had an affair with Daniels, although he has admitted reimbursing Cohen for money paid to her.

Rep. Mike Johnson: Johnson, a member of House Republican leadership, attacked Bragg and said the indictment “all but ensured” former President Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.

All this plays into Trump’s air of grievance, really, that he’s used to propel his political fortunes – you know, that the left is out for him; that, in turn, also his supporters, they’re out to get; that the system is rigged; and that this indictment and investigation in New York, nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to derail his presidential campaign.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely viewed as Trump’s most formidable potential Republican opponent, did not mention the former president in his response, instead going after “the Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney” – a reference to the billionaire liberal donor George Soros often at the center of conservative conspiracy theories.

The rule of law is being turned on its head by the weaponization of the legal system. It is un-American,” DeSantis tweeted. “Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda.”

Bragg was a name that Republicans wanted to tie his progressive positions on criminal justice in a city they portrayed as being besieged by violent crime to national Democrats like President Joe Biden. In the run-up to the indictment and then in its immediate aftermath, even those Republicans who have been more willing to criticize Trump denounced Bragg’s investigation as a political stunt or an abuse of power.

The Manhattan district attorney targeted one particular American in his campaign, and he believes that offends the notion of the majority of Americans who believe in equal treatment before the law.

Indicting Alvin Bragg: Should We Decide the Next Presidential Candidate Unless It Happens to Be Politically Motivated?

On social media, Glenn Youngkin, another Republican, sent a similar message. Like DeSantis and others, he focused on Bragg and ignored the substance of the charges against Trump.

“It is beyond belief that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicted a former President and current presidential candidate for pure political gain,” Youngkin said. “Arresting a presidential candidate on a manufactured basis should not happen in America.”

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations, is the only Republican heavyweight apart from Trump to formally declare her candidacy. She said on her website that Bragg’s case was more about revenge than justice, and she posted a clip of a Fox News interview in which she accused Bragg of being a political prosecution.

Another Trump Cabinet official considering a primary run, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accused Bragg of “undermining America’s confidence in our legal system.”

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has been making swings through Iowa, called Trump’s indictment a “travesty” and railed against Bragg and the “far left” in a statement.

The former Arkansas Gov., a bigger critic of Trump than many other potential candidates, offered a more measured take, but still sparing his toughest criticism for the prosecutor.

He stated that it is essential that the election of America’s next President is not in the court system. Donald Trump should not be the next President, but that should be decided by the voters.”

Despite the GOP’s support for Trump, the political impact remains unclear. Trump commands a deeply loyal following and leads in most early primary polls. His indictment will raise more questions about his viability in the future because voters largely Rejected his favored candidates.

Innocence in the White House: Chris Christie, Chris Sununu, and the New Jersey gov. Chris Bragg (R-New Jersey), when Donald Trump allegedly sued a porn star

“The Deep State will use anything at their disposal to shut down the one political movement that puts YOU first,” his campaign said in a Thursday evening email to supporters.

The people are still quiet, after a 24 hour period. History will judge their silence,” a Trump campaign account tweeted after Trump first said earlier this month that he would be arrested.

At a news conference in Panama City, the Republican candidate said he didn’t know what was behind paying a porn star “hitch money” to stay quiet over an alleged affair. “I just, I can’t speak to that.”

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – who ran against Trump in 2016, then became an ally ahead of the 2020 election before reversing course and insisting this week that he would never back Trump again – was silent on Thursday night. But in a Fox News interview last week, he predicted an indictment would help the former president among Republican voters and criticized Bragg.

“I don’t think this is the crime of the century,” Christie said, “and it’s certainly not a case that is going to improve, as I said, the everyday lives of the citizens of Manhattan.”

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this month that he needed more information before making a judgment, instead turning his ire at political opponents and the press.

“I just think that the – not just the media, but really a lot of the Democrats have misplayed this, in terms of building sympathy for the former president,” Sununu said. It changes the way we think as we go into the ’ 24 election.

The New York Grand Jury’s Indictment of Donald Trump: A Political Witch Hunt and a Demonstration of American Power

The news that Trump was indicted by a grand jury in NYC is a testament to the power that Trump still has amongst his party on Capitol Hill.

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House, said Bragg has damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in the election. The probe was called a blatant abuse of power by the chairwoman of the RNC.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House GOP conference chair, released a statement saying the indictment was “a political witch hunt” and a “dark day for America.”

The response from key congressional Republicans came as the indictment against Trump was filed under seal and will be announced soon. One source said that the charges were not publicly known at this time.

“President Donald Trump always fought for us. He puts the American people above corrupt interests. The powerful will come for him for that reason alone.

FLORIDO: We’ve been speaking with former U.S. attorney and law professor Kim Wehle about the New York grand jury’s decision to indict former President Donald Trump. Thank you for taking the time to thank me.

WEHLE: I’m not especially concerned given that we’ve been talking about it for many days now. And in a way, it’s good to have it actually happen. And hopefully we will see, in due course, the actual terms of the indictment. It’s hard to do a fair analysis until we see that, I think.

The person is named FlaorIDO. We don’t know the charges he faces yet, but you are aware of the legal code. What charges might be brought against the former president?

Trump is likely to be charged with a violation of New York penal code 175.10, falsifying business records in the first degree, says Kim Wehle, a former U.S. attorney and now a law professor at the University of Baltimore.

He said, “Wehle.” Well, it’s a Class E felony under Manhattan – New York law, so I believe it’s up to four years in prison. I think that’s the way it’s going to go down the line. We have to get through many hurdles. You know, due process applies and attaches to Mr. Trump. And I think it’s really important to distinguish, you know, political stakes from legal stakes, and there are a lot of procedural, evidentiary and constitutional protections in place to make sure, you know, that that far-off question is fairly adjudicated.

The person named FlaorIDO is from Florida. The Manhattan district attorney is bringing this case. His predecessor looked into these alleged hush-money payments also, but did not pursue charges, which raises a question, I think, about the strength of this case. What do you think?

WEHLE: I think at that point, Cy Vance was interested in the possibility that Donald Trump would be indicted for tax fraud and other crimes, because Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump organization, had been indicted for tax fraud and other crimes. And Mr. Bragg took some heat politically for not pursuing that, so, I mean, you could argue, you know, he was less aggressive on one, more aggressive on the other. You know, Alvin Bragg was – is an elected official, and all of this really is about the voters of Manhattan who chose him and Donald Trump’s – the grand jury of his peers that indicted him. Other voters of Manhattan will determine if he is guilty or not after it goes to trial.

FLORIDO: We’ve got about 20 seconds left. When these charges will be announced, you can walk us in about fifteen seconds, but what happens next?

WEHLE: He will either be arrested, or showed up for an arraigned and would enter a plea. You know, I worked on the Whitewater investigation many years ago. There was a lot of special circumstances surrounding the grand jury appearance of Bill Clinton.

WEHLE: …That were given to him. And my expectation is, if Donald Trump accepts them, he will be given kind of that respect of the office that I think he would deserve, like any former president.

The NPR Experience: The First Expansion of the United States to Fail a Speeding – Speeding in D.C.

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And to Trump’s messaging, two-thirds of people overall think that the charges in New York are not that serious, and 6 in 10 say the investigation is politically motivated. Of course, this decision, though, is from a grand jury, not exactly something done by fiat, by a prosecutor or a judge. And remember, a grand jury hears evidence from a prosecutor, then decides whether there’s enough there to file criminal charges against a suspect. And, you know, if it’s a conspiracy, you know, a jury of his peers appears to be in on it.

It’s not really. I mean, Richard Nixon, former president, never faced charges because Gerald Ford controversially pardoned him. I mean, you have to go all the way back to 1872 to find a president who was even arrested. You know, President Ulysses S. Grant was speeding – arrested for speeding with his horse-drawn carriage in D.C. But, you know, let’s not overlook the fact that Trump is now the first former American president to face criminal charges.

What do we think about Donald Trump’s prospects in the next few months? MONTANARO: The problem of changing the president’s image in competitive states

So that’s a pretty big wild card, especially when, according to our poll, a significant number of people ranked preserving democracy as high on their list of most important issues facing the country. And that’s true of people who are persuadable. Independents, for example, ranked preserving democracy second behind the economy. In the last few elections, Trump’s brand has been problematic in competitive states, where he’s at risk with independents. Majorities don’t have a favorable opinion of him and that they believe that he should not be president.

MONTANARO: Very tough to say because 80% of them say they have a favorable opinion of Trump. Most people think he is a good choice to be president, and there are no Republicans who are really trying to get rid of him.

FLORIDO: This is a story that is evolving. We’re looking forward to hearing more from you over the next few days, Domenico. Thank you, Domenico Montanaro.

The final stretch of the 2016 Presidential Campaign: Prigozhin and the latest stunning barrier shattered by the United States intelligence service

In the final stretch of the race, he was helped by the narrow victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. Yevgeny Prigozhin funded that effort, which led to the brutal combat of his mercenary army in Ukranian which targeted US social media companies and activists. According to the US Department of Justice’s exhaustive report, in the second arm of the Russian operation, the military intelligence service GRU hacked top Democratic officials, leaked their emails, and shifted the national narrative around Clinton and other Democrats. (Not to mention that this gave rise to the Pizzagate conspiracy theory and, arguably, QAnon.)

While it may seem like news of such an affair would have ended up being a nothingburger amid the campaign’s final weeks, it’s worth remembering the specific context that Cohen and the Trump orbit faced in those finals hours of the campaign. They were performing a fraught and knife’s-edge balancing act to hold onto support from conservatives and evangelicals in the wake of the devastating Access Hollywood tape, a moment where vice presidential nominee Mike Pence seriously considered throwing in the towel himself. The follow-on of more non-family-values-friendly stories might well have begun an unrecoverable spiral. It is worth remembering that in October of last year, US intelligence leaders announced publicly for the first time that Russia was behind the election meddling, and the Washington Post reported on the Access Hollywood tape.

It is the latest stunning barrier shattered by the nation’s most unruly president. And it means that after a tumultuous four-year term, a historic two impeachments, an election falsely tainted by Trump’s lies about fraud and a mob attack by his supporters on Congress, a new national nightmare may be ahead.

“We have been close before (but) we have never been at this point,” John Dean, former President Richard Nixon’s Watergate-era special counsel, told CNN. No previous president has ever been indicted.

The move was especially stunning given Trump’s long record of impunity, which has seen him constantly stretch the limits of the law and the conventions of accepted behavior with his uproarious personal, business and political careers. Suddenly, Trump will be held accountable. The former president could be indicted by the courts as early as Tuesday when he travels to New York to be tried for inciting violence while in office.

The ex-president quickly showed he’s ready to drive the country into a deep political crisis as he mounts his defense with wild claims of persecution. The credibility of the next election in the eyes of millions of his supporters is at risk because he accused Democrats of using justice to undermine his White House bid.

“This is an attack on our country the likes of which has never been seen before,” Trump wrote in block capitals on his Truth Social network. It’s also an attack on our once free and fair elections. The USA is now a third world nation, a nation in serious decline. So sad!”

The New York and Florida Witch-Hunt scandals: Alvin Bragg, the Left, and the Establishment of the Make America Great Again movement

Even if there is plentiful evidence that makes this a relatively simple sell to a jury, the fame and the power of the defendant means the case will unfold in a court of public opinion. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is under enormous pressure since if he fails to secure a conviction, he will be accused even more than he already is of building a politicized case that could tear gaping new divides in the country.

If Trump’s convicted, it will be harder for him to claim the charges were frivolous and politically motivated. But you can imagine how Trump would boast of vindication if he’s acquitted. He did so despite the fact that a majority of the Senate voted to indict him even though they did not need to vote for conviction.

Trump blames Pence for failing to intervene in Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory – a position that may limit the former vice president’s political ceiling in a party still filled with Trump loyalists.

The Florida governor made a threat and that suggests that the months ahead will be divisive and dangerous to America’s democracy.

“From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats – the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country – have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”

It’s all right, there is more to it than that, from the Russia investigation, the two impeachments, and most importantly the FBI search of his Florida home, where they recovered boxes of classified documents.

By most accounts, the other three criminal investigations – two federal and one out of Georgia – put Trump in far more potential peril than the New York case. But Bragg brought this case first, and the stakes are incredibly high not only for him personally, but also politically.

The Unification of the Democratic Party and the White House: Trump’s legal troubles as a manifestation of the “witch hunts” and conspiracies

Republicans had full control of power in Washington when Trump took office. Trump was in the White House, and Republicans were in charge of both the House and Senate.

The GOP lost control of key races in swing states and competitive districts in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Instead of making big gains, as is usually the case for the president’s party in a first midterm, Democrats actually expanded their majority in the Senate. Republicans took back the House in a way that was more than they had expected.

Republicans have now lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. That’s the worst streak for either party in their histories since the Republican Party’s creation in the 19th Century.

So even as Trump appears to be unifying this version of the Republican Party behind him through his claims of “witch hunts” and conspiracies, Americans more broadly have lined up against him – and the GOP – over and over these past several years.

That was evident this week in the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that found 6 in 10 don’t want Trump to be president again, including two-thirds of independents.

It’s not possible that it would change, but if other Republicans are concerned about Trump’s political vulnerabilities, they should paint his legal troubles as a symptom of the chaos and drama that he has brought to the White House.

There’s no indication that’s even a possibility. Trump’s lawyers and the New York district attorney’s office will likely agree on an initial appearance date for the president in the near future.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/31/1167273834/trump-indictment-grand-jury-new-york

The Soros DA and Stormy Daniels: I’m not Trying to Do a Spectacular Circus by a Trump Grand Jury

Trump has a hold on the GOP base. DeSantis has to walk a line not to offend the very pro-Trump GOP base, while Trump blasts DeSantis’ record and personal characteristics daily.

“It’s quite serious, even if the charge itself doesn’t reach the heights that some people would expect from a former president,” Wehle told NPR’s Adrian Florido on All Things Considered.

Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen negotiated a deal with porn star Stormy Daniels, paying her $130,000 in exchange for keeping quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.

NPR hasn’t been able to independently confirm whether Trump is still in Florida. Five days ago, the 757 flew to West Palm Beach, but the two reliable flight trackers haven’t seen it since.

“I have no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus by some Soros DA,” he said, according to an account from POLITICO, making a reference to billionaire donor George Soros’ campaign donations. He is trying to do a political spectacle. I’ve got some real issues to deal with in the state of Florida.

In his statement, the former president claimed that the grand jury vote to indict him was political persecution and election interference.

Democrats also rallied around a party message, but theirs was one of the need for blind justice, best summed up by the phrase “no one is above the law.”

“A nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office. When they do, it’s especially when they do.

Cohen said in the indictment that nobody is above the law but called for an opinion on the matter to be decided in court.

The DA’s general counsel Leslie B. Dubeck penned a letter Friday to three House GOP committee chairmen, citing Trump’s harsh rhetoric aimed at District Attorney Alvin Bragg and writing, “As Committee Chairmen, you could use the stature of your office to denounce these attacks and urge respect for the fairness of our justice system and for the work of the impartial grand jury.”

Dubeck said that most of the money spent on expenses relating to the Trump organization and other things had to do with Supreme Court litigation. In the last 15 years, Dubeck shared that the DA’s Office helped the federal government secure more than one billion dollars in asset forfeiture funds.

Dubeck also included details about the three federal grant programs the office participates in regarding its casework and shared, “no expenses incurred relating to this matter have been paid from funds that the Office receives through federal grant programs.”

“If you will not withdraw your request, we reiterate our willingness to meet and confer with you or your staff about how we can accommodate your request without violating our obligations as prosecutors to protect the integrity of an ongoing criminal prosecution.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office: Donald Trump is a political witch-hunt, not a far-left activist, but an investigative priority for the New York prosecutors

The day after Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan district attorney, the Oversight Chairman attacked the political witch-hunt.

“One thing that we’re concerned about in Washington, Congressman Jordan and myself, is if there is coordination being conducted here between Merrick Garland, DOJ and all these different entities that are going after Donald Trump,” Comer told Fox on Friday. They are trying to make a narrative that would hurt Donald Trump, so this is a political witch-hunt.

This is a prosecution of a far- left activist. A case like this wouldn’t happen if it were anyone other than President Trump. Instead of ordering political hit jobs, New York prosecutors should focus on getting violent criminals off the streets,” he said.

Greene serves on the House Oversight Committee, one of the key committees trying to investigate the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, and told CNN she regularly keeps Trump up to date on their investigative priorities.