Donald Trump won’t say whether he would use Justice Department to target opponents if reelected
Former President Donald Trump, recently convicted on 34 criminal counts in his New York hush money case, evaded questions about whether he would exploit the Justice Department to target political adversaries if reinstated to the White House.
Appearing on “Fox & Friends,” Trump dodged inquiries about potentially weaponizing the Justice Department against opponents, stating, “I’m not sure I can answer the question.”
This interview followed closely after a jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, aimed at concealing their relationship ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump also baselessly suggested during the Fox interview that the public might revolt if he faced imprisonment or house arrest. “I don’t know that the public would stand it,” he remarked, hinting at a potential breaking point.
In the wake of Trump’s New York verdict, a Morning Consult poll revealed that 49% of voters advocate for some form of probation, while 44% support a prison sentence.
Despite these sentiments, concerns about political violence during or after the election persist, with over half of voters in swing states expressing apprehension, according to a Bloomberg survey conducted in May.
Experts predict that Trump is unlikely to receive a prison sentence immediately, as he is appealing the verdict. Any incarceration would likely be postponed until after the appeals process, extending beyond the November election.
Trump continued his verbal assault on President Joe Biden, as well as the judge and prosecutors involved in his hush money case, hinting at potential retaliation.
President Biden’s communications director, Michael Tyler, swiftly responded, accusing Trump of being consumed by “his own thirst for revenge and retribution.”
Trump faces the looming threat of three additional criminal trials, including one concerning his alleged mishandling of classified information and two related to efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, where he was defeated by Biden.