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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Speaker Mike Johnson's trip to Trump's trial in N.Y. mattered
His appearance at Donald Trumps criminal trial was tough to defend, but his vow to rein in prosecutors made the problem worse.
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/speaker-mike-johnsons-trip-trumps-trial-ny-mattered-rcna152326
It was a remarkable moment in modern American politics: The House speaker amplifying Trumps defense and turning the Republican Party against the federal and state legal systems that are foundational to the U.S. government and a cornerstone of democracy. Johnson, who is second in line for the presidency, called the court system corrupt.
The display was, by any fair measure, obscene. The sitting speaker of the House Congress top official and a man two heartbeats from the presidency decided that it would be fully appropriate to show up at a criminal trial and allow himself to be used as a mouthpiece for a suspected felon......
But perhaps most notable of all was the House speakers comments about his plans for the near future because as it turns out, Johnson intends to use his courthouse appearance as a springboard toward future action. The conservative Washington Times reported:
House Speaker Mike Johnson ... told reporters that all the cases brought against Mr. Trump amount to election interference and Congress has a constitutional responsibility to investigate the prosecutors and hold them accountable.
In fact, Johnson accused special counsel Jack Smith of undefined abuses, adding that hes prepared to take measure to rein in
prosecutors that Republicans disagree with.
Link to tweet
.....But even the possibility that Johnson intends to interfere in ongoing criminal cases, going after prosecutors for their doing their jobs and following the evidence, is a case study in indefensible Republican radicalism.
Marthe48
(17,294 posts)They never find faith, but they find religion, which is a whole different thing. No matter how they embrace religion, the grace of faith eludes them. They are a lot like the thing on the floor at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. People like johnson and others use religion as a cudgel, which is fine with others of no faith. The people I'm talking about could sit in church all day, sing in the choir, wear vestments, but they haven't encountered faith and the harder they try, the more embittered they get. Any politician that has to act like God is standing behind him as he tries to force his rule on us is not a politician, but a charletan who is not only a weak character, but also lacks courage in his convictions. Which,. by the way, are for sale to the highest bidder, because they are not convictions, but stepping stones for his personal ambition.
Of course, johnson is ignoring traitor's shortcomings in his enthusiastic charge against the United States of America. For people like johnson, it has never been about improving justice or government. It's been about perverting justice and overthrowing government. At the end of the day, johnson is just another bitter fraud using religion to try to defeat the U.S.A., seeking a victory his ancestors failed to achieve.