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0 Famed Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has called for Donald Trump‘s hush money trial to be moved from Manhattan to the Republican enclave of Staten Island, arguing that Manhattan is so staunchly Democrat a fair trial is impossible.
Dershowitz’s argument was echoed by Trump himself, who wrote on Truth Social on Thursday night: ‘They only brought this Fake, Corrupt, and Disgraceful Charge against me because I stand with the American People, and they know that I cannot get a fair trial in New York!’
Trump was born in New York City, but is widely disliked in his hometown and has moved his official residence to Florida.
‘There is no possibility he will get a fair trial in Manhattan,’ said Dershowitz, who represented Trump in his first Senate impeachment trial, over pressuring Ukraine for ‘dirt’ on Joe Biden.
Alan Dershowitz appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Thursday night, and called for the Trump trial to be moved from Manhattan to Staten Island
Dershowitz told Hannity that Trump could not get a fair trial in the staunchly Democrat borough of Manhattan
New York-born Dershowitz, 84, said the charges against Trump would be impossible to counter in a borough that is a Democrat stronghold.
Joe Biden won New York City with a total of 2,321,759 votes – 1,630,077 more votes than the 691,682 Trump received.
Every district of Manhattan voted for Biden.
Trump’s almost 700,000 votes were strongly concentrated in Staten Island, with pockets of support in the Orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn, and slivers of the Bronx and Queens.
Dershowitz told Fox News that Manhattan jurists would be too worried about the reaction of their friends and family to give Trump a fair hearing.
‘I would try to move it to Staten Island,’ he said.
‘Can you imagine a judge and jury coming home and saying: I’m the man, I’m the woman who let Donald Trump off?
‘Nobody would speak to them.’
The darker the grey-blue shading, the stronger the Democrat vote in November 2020 in this map. The stronger the red, the more votes were for Republicans. Staten Island, to the left of the map, is clearly a Republican enclave, while the sliver of Manhattan island – with the clear block of Central Park in the middle – voted entirely Democrat in 2020
Dershowitz referenced a 2018 column for The Hill, in which he spoke about the ‘shunning’ he’d received in liberal enclave Martha’s Vineyard for defending then-President Donald Trump.
Dershowitz continues to complain about being ‘blackballed’ among society figures.
‘Happened me on Martha’s Vineyard,’ Dershowitz said.
‘Nothing compares to a judge or juror for allowing the most dangerous man in America to run as president.’
Republicans vented their fury Thursday after the indictment of Trump was revealed.
The indictment comes as Trump seeks to reassert control of the Republican Party and stave off a slew of one-time allies who may threaten his bid for the presidential nomination. But there was only unity within the GOP after the news of pending criminal charges emerged.
Mike Pence, the former vice president, said the decision by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to bring charges against Trump was an abuse of power.
‘The unprecedented indictment of a former president on a campaign finance issue is an outrage,’ said Pence.
‘I think the American people are going to look at this as one more example of the criminalization of politics in this country.’
Former VP Mike Pence blasted the decision to file criminal charges against his former boss as an abuse of power. ‘The unprecedented indictment of a former president on a campaign finance issue is an outrage.’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considered to be Trump’s top rival, called the indictment ‘un-American’
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel called the indictment a ‘blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered Trump’s top potential rival for the GOP presidential ticket, called the indictment ‘un-American’ in a statement on Thursday night – which pointedly did not mention Trump’s name.
‘When our justice system is weaponized as a political tool, it endangers all of us,’ tweeted Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
‘This is a blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance instead of keeping people safe,’ she said.
McDaniel was installed by Trump and withstood a challenge to her post early this year.
Her comment served as a signal to elected Republicans, who stood by Trump throughout the Russia probe and two Senate impeachment trials.
‘Outrageous,’ said Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in a single word statement.
He is one of several House committee chairs who have already sought to investigate Bragg over his probe.
Republican lawmakers in Congress continued to rally to Trump’s side including Kevin McCarthy, the House Speaker.
‘Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,’ McCarthy tweeted.
‘The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.’
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas called the substance of the case ‘utter garbage’ in comments to DailyMail.com.
‘It’s baseless and frivolous.
‘It’s a political persecution and ironically enough, the fact that this left-wing Democrat is pursuing it has already proven to be a significant political benefit for Donald Trump,’ said Cruz.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican for North Carolina, who has occasionally worked with the Biden administration, said that the indictment ‘doesn’t pass the smell test.’
He added: ‘The Department of Justice already looked into the facts and decided there was no case to be made against President Trump.
‘Congress has every right to investigate the conduct’ of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, he told the Huffington Post.
Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Green, a congresswoman representing Georgia, vowed that ‘the gloves are off’ – especially when it comes to Joe Biden and his family.
‘Impeach Biden,’ she said.
‘He’s given us every reason and the family banking records and more are giving us receipts.
‘But now that the gloves are off. Prosecute any and all crimes. Enough of this witch hunt bulls***.’
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. denounced the indictment on Thursday evening: ‘Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,’ McCarthy tweeted.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted the indictment as ‘outrageous’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweets ‘Impeach Biden. He’s given us every reason and the family banking records and more are giving us receipts. But now that the gloves are off.’
A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to pornstar Stormy Daniels
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seen departing the Manhattan Courthouse on March 30, 2023 in New York City after issuing an indictment against Trump
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the substance of the case ‘utter garbage’ in comments to DailyMail.com.
Still to be determined is how the indictment will play out in the presidential primary and the battle for Republicans to keep control of the House in 2024.
Trump has used reports he might be charged as a powerful fundraising tool, and he widened his lead over DeSantis in a new Fox News poll released on Thursday.
Trump predicts it will backfire on Biden, who took office while former Trump fixer Michael Cohen served part of his three-year sentence for campaign finance violations related to the $130,000 ‘hush’ payment agreement with Daniels.
The former president called it a ‘witch hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement’.
He railed against other probes, and vowed to defeat Bragg.
‘Now they have done the unthinkable,’ said Trump, calling the charge a political act by his enemies.
‘Never before in our nation’s history has this been done before.
‘I believe this witch hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden.’
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Thursday, Eric Trump slammed the ruling as a ‘ruthless attack’ and an example of ‘the decline of American Law.’
His brother Donald Trump Jr. compared the indictment to the actions of a ruthless dictatorship.
The former president has denied Daniels’ allegations of a sexual affair, and is expected to plead not guilty.
‘Let’s be clear, folks,’ said Trump Jr.
‘This is like communist level s**t. This is stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
