On Tuesday’s broadcast of Sean Hannity’s radio show, conservative commentator and author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?” Pat Buchanan Buchanan criticized President Obama’s Department of Justice for failing to stand against public violence after Saturday’s verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman.
“What is taking place now, Sean, is not the prosecution of George Zimmerman,” Buchanan said. “That’s over. He was found ‘not guilty’ on all counts. He was found innocent on all counts. What’s taking place now is the persecution of George Zimmerman. This man has his life threatened. He is hiding. His family is being threatened. The Justice Department is threatening him with a second trial on the basis of what, a bunch of demonstrations and howls? This is not what is supposed to happen in America.”
Buchanan also questioned the whole proposition of a second trial for Zimmerman based on hate crime violations under federal law.
“Now Sean, if after 16 months the prosecution with all the evidence it could get together could not prove rage or malice or hatred of any kind, couldn’t prove it — how in heaven’s name is the Justice Department supposed to prove that it is racial hatred, racial anger, racial malice, a hate crime?” he continued. “No evidence for that exists. Why then is the Attorney General of the United States continuing to hold out hope of a second trial of George Zimmerman? That would be outrageous.”
But Buchanan was particular harsh on President Barack Obama. He pointed to Obama’s rising to the occasion after the shooting of then-Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabriel Giffords in 2010. But he said Obama hasn’t stood up in this case.
“The question here now — I mean, what’s going on, it’s not good for this country,” Buchanan said. “Let me say this — I think that Barack Obama was splendid in the Gabby Gifford event. The country was divided after that lunatic shot all those people, wounded her. And he went out there in sort of a healing mission and I thought he succeeded. He has got to — President Obama should right now stand up and say, ‘Shut this thing down. Mr. Attorney General, if your FBI in 16 months doesn’t have proof of some kind of racial hate crime, and I don’t know where it would get the proof — then you shut this thing down as of this weekend. I think the president ought to speak out against vandalism and violence of any kind.”
“Sean, first it’s right for the country,” he continued. “Secondly, it’s right for the president of the United States. People are being beaten up. ‘This one’s for Trayvon.’ There’s been violence and vandalism. Shouldn’t the president stand up and say, ‘Don’t do this.’ Stop it.”
Buchanan went on to accuse Attorney General Eric Holder of encouraging some actions out on the street, which was as he said “not the American way.”
“I think Eric Holder is giving aid and comfort to the people who want this thing decided in the streets, not in a court of law where it was decided,” Buchanan said. “You know Sean, why doesn’t the president get up and say exactly what you just said? ‘Look, this man has been declared not guilty. It’s a very controversial trial. Everybody’s got a right to protest. But the idea of calling for vengeance and the idea of running around saying “no justice,” all of this — this is not the American way. And what you folks have to do is we’re not going to have a second trial of a man declared not guilty when we don’t have any evidence other than what the prosecution, which had failed to convict.’”
Buchanan noted Obama’s ill-advised comments in 2009, when he accused a Cambridge police officer of “acting stupidly,” but then hosted the “beer summit” to ease tensions. According to Buchanan, this incident was “far more serious” and warrants a public statement from the president.
“This is far, far, far more serious than that was,” Buchanan said. “And he’s sitting there silent. You know, the immortal Dante, the poet, once said there’s a special place in hell for people in times of moral crisis refuse to take a stand. Mr. President, it is time you took a stand.”
