The recent indictment of former President Donald Trump is “very much in line” with what America’s Founders “envisioned,” according to an MSNBC contributor who described the move as “very much in the American tradition.”
On Tuesday, MSNBC political analyst Jonathan Alter described the indictment as a “totally unprecedented event in our history,” though adding it “is not out of character for our history.”
MSNBC's @jonathanalter on a rogue prosecutor inventing new legal standards by which to kneecap a presidential candidate: "It’s really important to understand that what’s happening today is very much in line with what the Founders envisioned" pic.twitter.com/TXdEzTwGQf
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 4, 2023
According to Alter, the former president’s arraignment is “very much in line with what the Founders envisioned.”
“So they had provisions for impeachment for dealing with crimes committed by a president in office, but they very much believed that because we don’t have a king in this country, that when you leave office you are subject to the law like any other person,” he added.
Noting that the Constitution has “these provisions for fair trials [and] for the right against self-incrimination,” Alter stated that former President Trump “can exercise his Fifth Amendment privileges if he wants.”
“But there’s nothing in there that says, ‘Oh, you’re not supposed to prosecute somebody after they leave office if you have indications that crimes have been committed,’” he added.
As a result, Alter argued, if Republicans wish to say that this is “somehow like this crazy thing that we’re interfering in a presidential election; we should let the people decide [and] not have the courts decide — that’s the un-American argument.”
“Because all over this country for decades, literally hundreds of years, local prosecutors have gone after politicians who are seeking reelection or even in public office for crimes they believe may have been committed,” he added.
The left-wing journalist concluded that what Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is currently doing “is very very much in the American tradition.”
The remarks follow the indictment of former President Donald Trump by a grand jury in New York on Thursday for his alleged role in paying hush money to a porn star.
The former president, reacting to the news, slammed the decision as “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history,” as he expressed his belief that the move will “backfire” on Biden, whom he aims to defeat in next year’s general election.
Watch: Trump Waves to Media, Departs Trump Tower to Turn Himself in to Manhattan Court
Lausky Liu via StoryfulRepublicans have largely expressed outrage following the indictment, with many sharing criticisms of the Manhattan District Attorney and the “politically motivated” case.
On Friday, former Attorney General Bill Barr called Bragg’s indictment of former President Donald Trump an “abomination.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) suggested it is merely the “latest move” by radical Democrats to weaponize the government against Americans.
According to a CNN-commissioned poll from last week, the vast majority of Americans, including most Democrats, believe “politics played a role” in Trump’s indictment.
A recently surfaced video shows Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg campaigning on suing the Trump administration more than 100 times during his 2021 Democrat primary race.
Watch: Bragg Alleges Trump Falsified Business Records to “Cover Up Crimes Relating to 2016 Election”
Manhattan District Attorney's OfficeFollow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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