Donald Trump and his stupid comments and actions are his own. But are charges against Trump just politically motivated?
Donald Trump Drama
Jack Smith, the American attorney who was appointed the United States Department of Justice Special Counsel to oversee criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump, recently turned his attention to former Trump lawyers.
Recent reports revealed how former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani are now the focus of Smith’s investigation, prompting rumors that Giuliani and others may be preparing to turn on Trump.
Trump’s Lawyer Problem
The story has the country captivated, with a former president of the United States facing the very real possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison over charges that many believe are politically motivated.
If the accusations made against the former president are as watertight as Democrats say they are, Smith and his team must not only prove it but do so in a way that convinces most of the country that the investigation was fair.
So, is Smith biased?
Many Republicans say yes.
On July 4, former President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Smith is just a “sick puppet” of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and President Joe Biden.
“As my Poll numbers go higher & higher, the Communists, Marxists, & Fascists get more & more CRAZY with their ridiculous Indictments & Election Interference plans & plots, all controlled by an out of control, & very corrupt, DOJ/FBI,” Trump said. “They have WEAPONIZED Law Enforcement in America at a level not seen before.”
If Trump is right, his comments are unlikely to help him in the investigation.
The former president isn’t the only Republican – or even, the only American – who believes that the investigation is politically motivated.
According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll, a plurality of Americans believe that the former president should have been indicted on federal charges – but nearly as many Americans believe that the charges are politically motivated. Some 48 percent of respondents say that Trump should be charged, while 47 percent believe that the charges are politically motivated.
Smith himself has also been accused of holding anti-Trump views. Former President Donald Trump has described him as an “uncontrolled Trump-hater,” citing his marriage to documentary filmmaker Katy Chevginy, who donated $2,000 to the Biden 2020 campaign and produced a film about liberal icon former First Lady Michelle Obama.
While allies of Smith have defended him against accusations of political bias, arguing that he is entirely non-political, the claims won’t ring true for most people – or, at least, most Republicans. Former President Donald Trump is one of the most controversial presidents in modern history – not necessarily because of his policies, but because of his willingness to stand up to establishment figures and the obsessive tirades and unfounded accusations made against him since the Democrats realized his first presidential campaign was serious.
Smith may not be hugely political, but that doesn’t really matter. If Smith is perceived as political, or if there is a chance he may be even somewhat influenced by his wife’s radical politics, then it undermines the entire case against Trump and hurts the credibility of the Biden administration. Why? Because the president himself is widely seen as the man behind the targeting of former President Donald Trump.
If the Biden DOJ wants to prosecute Trump, they might be wise to choose a prosecutor without progressive skeletons in his closet.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
From 19FortyFive
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