Jon Stewart sarcastically says 'what's happened to our country' after being asked about a potential Trump indictment: 'It's as though you can't even commit financial fraud anymore'
Business InsiderNov 26, 2022
The Facts
On Thursday, a New York grand jury indicted former president Donald Trump over hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face criminal charges.
According to documents filed in Los Angeles Federal Court, Michael Cohen — Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer — signed a non-disclosure agreement with Daniels to hide her consensual sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 in exchange for a $130k payment. The encounter took place in the year after Trump married his current wife Melania.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Donald Trump is a victim of a Democratic witch hunt to suppress his influence and reclaim the presidency. Democrats have successfully weaponized the criminal justice system, which is now focused on political vengeance and punishing a political opponent instead of keeping Americans safe. This is not an indictment of a crime, it is an indictment of a failed nation.
Democratic narrative
While it is not illegal to silence someone so as to protect your reputation and marriage, covering up the action by falsifying business records is a criminal offense. The indictment is a testament to the fact that no one is above the law, no matter how powerful they are. Alleged breaches of campaign finance law carried out by the Trump campaign also deserve to be taken seriously.
Narrative C
This indictment has set the stage for a 2024 presidential contest unlike any other. Being charged with — or found guilty of — a crime does not disqualify the 45th president of the United States from running for office again. An indictment may even make Trump more popular, since he is an expert at portraying himself as an anti-establishment figure against his opponents' weight. This development alone will not hand Trump victory in 2024, but it does lay the ground for an unpredictable presidential contest.