Rachel Maddow dived into Trump’s corruption of the DOJ and how that delayed New York’s silencing charges.
Transcript via MSNBC/The Rachel Maddow Show:
If you find yourself wondering why the alleged crimes that occurred in 2016 are only now being prosecuted, well, one reason is that Donald Trump’s Justice Department managed to delay and ultimately hinder the federal investigation into the alleged crimes for which Donald Trump is now effectively facing trial in the state of New York. And in fact, in that successful effort by the Trump Justice Department to prevent any federal investigation of Trump or any indictment against him, we can see the legacy of that successful corruption, that successful corruption of the case – we can see the ‘legacy in the way the Manhattan district attorney had to deal with this case.
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But the reason Trump was never charged with federal crimes – well, it appears to be because the federal investigation into Trump’s guilt in this matter was skewed on Trump’s behalf, by Trump appointees.
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So this is kind of a big open wound right in the center of this trial, constantly reminding us that it’s absurd that only Michael Cohen and no one else ever paid a price for this criminal scheme, right?
It’s also a constant reminder, you know, of something else and something bigger than this case. It’s a big, bright warning about what we as a country should expect from a second Trump presidency.
Video:
Rachel #Maddow “So if you find yourself wondering why alleged crimes that occurred in 2016 are only now being prosecuted, well, one reason is that Donald Trump’s Justice Department managed to delay and ultimately impede the federal investigation.” pic.twitter.com/i0p04lzfWd
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 16, 2024
One of the big lies Trump likes to tell about the criminal charges he is facing is that prosecutors didn’t move to indict him until he ran for president. The former president always leaves out the part about him corrupting the Justice Department and delaying the filing of charges.
Maddow was right. Trump’s first term was just a warm-up act for what he will try to do if he returns to the White House.
If you thought Trump did a lot of work in the Justice Department the last time he was in the White House, wait until you get a sense of what he’ll do if he returns.
The process of silence is important because it is really about corruption and democracy, and for these reasons it is important and deserves to be taken seriously.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association