Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman said former President Donald Trump’s indictment is “no cause to celebrate” during an MSNBC appearance Thursday night.
A Manhattan Grand Jury voted Thursday to indict Trump in relation to a yearslong investigation into an alleged hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly sent $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen claims Trump reimbursed him. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office investigation focused on whether Trump forged business records to hide the alleged payout.
“The Last Word” host Lawrence O’Donnell brought up the indictment, with Goldman saying that while alleged hush money payments to Daniels could be “part of it,” there is probably “more than just the conduct surrounding the Stormy Daniels payment,” after CNN reported there are 34 counts.
“We don’t know the evidence, and yet there are inflammatory accusations about partisanship and the political basis for these charges from people who have no idea what the charges are,” Goldman said. “And that should tell you everything you need to know about what is motivating Donald Trump and his supporters.”
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“On the flip side, this is no cause to celebrate,” Goldman continued. (RELATED: Pelosi Gets One Key Point Horribly Wrong On Trump Indictment)
“This is a serious matter where, for the first time ever, a former president is indicted. We need to make sure that Donald Trump, like every defendant, gets the benefit of his constitutional rights. That is how our system has worked for nearly 250 years. And that is how it needs to continue to work – to make sure that we are following the rule of law, that no one is above the law, and that we are a government of laws and not men and especially, one man. And so, Donald Trump should have his day in court.”
Other liberals celebrated the indictment, with Democratic Nevada Attorney General John Ford tweeting it’s a “bad faith argument” to call the indictment political and people should instead celebrate the “hard work” done to secure the indictment.
Victor Shi, a delegate for Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, tweeted, “this is only the beginning of accountability against Donald Trump. Indictment season is finally here.”
Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters tweeted, “Trump finally got indicted! I predicted he would and I predicted that Stormy Daniels would get him! Sometimes justice works!”
