Speaker Mike Johnson had to avoid a question during an interview about Hunter Biden's trial because it denied the government's account of his gun use.
Read: The Republican Presumptive Nominee for President is A Convicted Felon
CNBC CEO Board Summit Transcript:
JAVERS: I want to ask you a little bit about some of the news of the day. We saw this historic conviction of former President Trump last week in New York. You called it a banana republic trial. And I'm wondering, following the Hunter Biden trial this week, is it also a banana republic trial?
JOHNSON: I haven't been able to watch any of them yet. We will see. I hope not. Look, I think what happened in Manhattan was a travesty. And I say that as a former litigator, someone who was in the federal courts for 20 years handling high profile cases. I don't think that what happened there was unprecedented. The charges, in my opinion, were illegal. They targeted the political opponent. They used the judicial system to do this. The whole case is based on the testimony of a known perjurer, I mean the whole thing. And that, regardless of how I feel about it or any of us, I'm telling you, the American people are upset about it. As of Saturday, I've traveled and held political events in 118 cities and 29 states in the past six months. And wherever I go, East Coast, West Coast, upstate New York, Deep South, it doesn't matter, the vibe is the same. People are losing faith in our institutions because they see this. They see the politicization or weaponization of the judicial system itself. And as a constitutional lawyer and someone who believes in our institutions and is trying to preserve the greatest nation in the history of the world, I'm really concerned about that perception. If you do not have equal justice before the law, or if the people do not believe that you have, you lose a very important element which a system of government like ours needs to maintain a constitutional republic. I think that's the threat.
The video.
Moderator Mike Johnson. You called the Trump trial a “banana republic trial.” Is the Hunter Biden trial also a banana republic trial?
Mike Johnson. I hope not. pic.twitter.com/TpTTwt6dDV
Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 4, 2024
Speaker Johnson was forced to dodge the question because the prosecution of Hunter Biden is inconsistent with Republican claims that the president has weaponized the government against his political opponents. If President Biden had weaponized the government, that same government would not be prosecuting his son.
Reality revealed Speaker Johnson's hypocrisy. It seems Republicans only think government prosecutions are bad when Donald Trump is the one being prosecuted.
Posturing and hypocrisy would border on stupidity if the consequences weren't so serious.
Mike Johnson attacked the judiciary after Trump's verdict, but refused to respond when Hunter Biden was the accused.
The only banana republic in American politics today is Donald Trump's Republican Party.
Special message from PoliticusUSA
If you are able to make a donation just to help us keep PoliticusUSA's doors open during an important election year, please do so here.Â
We've been honored for 14 years to put your interests first because we only respond to our readers, and we won't compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.
Jason is the managing editor. She is also the White House Press Center and Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a BA in Political Science. Her graduate work focused on public policy, specializing in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
Leave a Comment