CNN panelists delved into a heated debate on Monday night over Republican nominee Donald Trump’s promise to arrest any officials who allegedly cheated in the 2020 election.
Trump vowed for any illegal voters, lawyers and political operatives who allegedly committed fraud in the 2020 presidential election to be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” in a Truth Social post from Saturday. Former Republican National Committee spokesperson Madison Gesiotto and Keith Boykin, a former special assistant to former President Bill Clinton, sparred over whether Trump’s remark on Truth Social should dissuade voters from supporting him.
“You have to remember, you have to have empathy for the people out there across the country who are struggling,” Gesiotto told Boykin, leading him to say Trump does not have empathy for people. “No, no, no, please don’t interrupt. [People] who are going to the grocery store and they’re struggling to pay for groceries for their children. And they’re going, and the economy has rapidly changed their lives.”
“I want to ask you a question, Madison,” Boykin pushed back. “Can I ask you a question? Inflation is down now 2.9% … Have you ever heard Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or anyone in the Democratic Party leadership say that Donald Trump should be locked up in jail?”
CNN panelists devolved into a near shouting match while debating Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/hrCVzvSH2D
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Gesiotto said many Democrats have called for Trump to be imprisoned, and repeated her argument that voters are more concerned about the economy and their day-to-day lives than partisan infighting. Boykin said there is no one in Democratic leadership calling on Trump to be locked up. (RELATED: ‘Not On A Strong Footing’: David Axelrod Spars With Scott Jennings Over Reasons Behind Biden’s Withdrawal)
“A lot of Democrats say [Trump] should be locked up in jail all the time!” Gesiotto said. “Are you kidding? And again, that doesn’t matter, because people across the country who are struggling, it doesn’t matter, they don’t care. They want to pay for groceries for their kids, they want to get gas.”
“Madison, a minute ago you told me not to interrupt you, and now you’re interrupting me repeatedly,” Boykin said. “So you’re not consistent. But the point I’m trying to make though, Madison, is that what David [Urban] said is that there’s a law fare against President Trump, and he’s comparing that to what Ana [Navarro] said about what’s going on in Nicaragua, which is not the same at all because there’s no leadership in the top of our government who is encouraging for the former president to be locked up.”
CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter then argued that the public can simultaneously denounce the poor state of the economy and political persecution.
Democratic Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Lloyd Doggett of Texas, along with Eric Swalwell of California, told The Hill in June that Trump should be in jail.
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