DeSantis says Bragg ‘weaponised’ the law for ‘political gains’

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a possible 2024 Republican presidential candidate, took aim at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at the Pennsylvania Republican Party Leadership Conference on Saturday.

“His entire platform when he was elected was that he was going to demote as many felonies as possible to misdemeanors,” DeSantis told a crowd gathered on Camp Hill. “Now he is turning around, purely for political purposes, and accusing a former president of misdemeanors that they strive to turn into felonies.

«That’s when you know the law has been weaponized for political purposes.»

Bragg, a Democrat who succeeded Cyrus Vance Jr., was elected Manhattan district attorney in 2021 following a campaign that promised to renew the culture of the office, as well as increase confidence in law enforcement and the justice system. penal.

in a memorandum Released after taking office, Bragg said he would no longer prosecute certain petty crimes because «excess incarceration hasn’t made Manhattan any safer.»

DeSantis has yet to launch a bid for the 2024 Republican nomination, but he is widely seen as the most likely alternative to Trump. Many of the former president’s declared or potential rivals have jumped to his defense since he was impeached.

Stormy Daniels says Trump ‘is no longer untouchable’

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Adult film star Stormy Daniels, in a recent interview with a UK newspaper, called Trump’s accusation «vindication» and said the former president is «no longer untouchable.»

“A person in power is not exempt from the law. And no matter what your job is, or what your bank account says, you are accountable for the things you have said and done, and justice is served,» Daniels said. The London Times. She gave the interview at an undisclosed location due to security concerns.

«Whatever the outcome, it’s going to cause violence and there’s going to be injuries and deaths,» he said. “There is the potential for a lot of good things to come out of this. But either way, a lot of bad things will also come out.”

Supporters gather outside Trump International Golf Club

More than two dozen Trump supporters have gathered outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, waving flags and playing music from speakers.

A Trump-Pence lawn sign is affixed to a nearby vehicle, with Pence’s name crossed out. And a woman sells honey in the shape of the former president’s head. She says the money will go into a January 6 legal defense fund.

Jeb Bush on Trump impeachment: ‘This is very political’

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the son of former President George HW Bush, criticized the grand jury indictment Saturday, calling it «very political.»

«[Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg’s predecessor did not take up the case,» Bush wrote in a cheep. «The Department of Justice did not take up the case. Bragg first said that he would not take up the case. This is very political, it is not a question of justice. In this case, let the jury be the voters.»

Bush and Trump were rivals in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, during which Trump had often mocked the former governor for having «low energy.» Bush said he did not vote for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu Says Trump Impeachment Will Help Him In 2024

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New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he believes Trump’s impeachment will increase his chances of winning the Republican nomination in 2024.

«It only helps him,» Sununu, a Republican, said in an interview on HBO’s «Real Time With Bill Maher,» which aired Friday night. “He shouldn’t be the nominee. He can’t win in 2024, but this generates a lot of empathy, sympathy, if you will. He solidifies the foundation of him.»

Sununu, who is weighing his own potential White House run, predicted last month, before Trump’s impeachment, that the former president would lose the Republican nomination next year.

However, he has pledged to support the eventual Republican nominee. «Look, I’m a lifelong Republican,» he said.

Democratic lawmaker criticizes Greene’s protest call

Rep. Jim McGovern condemned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call to protest in New York.

Greene, a Republican from Georgia and one of Trump’s most loyal allies in Congress, said Friday she would travel to the state next week to protest Trump’s impeachment and called on her supporters to join her. «Protest against the tyrants,» she tweeted.

“This is sick and wrong. We haven’t even seen the grand jury indictment, so those rushing to Trump’s defense think the law shouldn’t apply to him no matter what he’s done,” said McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat. tweeted in response to Greene’s comments. «Her delusional deference of him to a career hustler is pathetic.»

Michael Cohen could be key witness in Trump trial, says his lawyer

Michael Cohen is expected to be a «primary witness» should Trump stand trial after being indicted, according to Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis.

Cohen is the former Trump “fixer” and lawyer who pleaded guilty to and served prison terms including criminal tax evasion and campaign finance violations for his role in secret money schemes to pay off two women who claimed they had affairs. with Trump. Payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels are at the center of Trump’s impeachment, though the exact charges are not yet known. It is also not known if payments to a second woman, Karen McDougal, are also part of the indictment.

Davis told «Meet the Press NOW» on Friday that Cohen would be a key witness in a trial against Trump following the impeachment. Cohen has said that Trump ordered him to pay off Daniels during the 2016 campaign.

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Threats of online violence, but few signs of far-right organizing around Trump impeachment

Minutes after news broke of the impeachment of former President Donald Trump, a comment on the pro-Trump internet forum Patriots.win, also known as TheDonald, shot to the top of the message board.

“****ACCELERA,” reads the comment, written by a user named TheSpeakerfortheDead, in full.

Beneath that user, others quickly joined in, saying the grand jury that indicted Trump is «guilty of treason» and his personal information must be made public.

The word “accelerate” is a reference to the far-right term accelerationism, the idea that the state should be abolished, usually violently, and replaced with a new one.

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