Call this a case of "be careful what you wish for—you might get it." For years, the liberal media has been salivating at the prospect of Donald Trump being criminally charged. NewsBusters has chronicled the many times the MSM has imagined the "walls closing in" on the former president.
But now that it seems possible that Trump might actually be charged in Manhattan this week in connection with the alleged hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, it looks like Morning Joe can't rejoice over it. They're still worrying about how Trump might escape it.
After a segment today began with Kevin McCarthy calling that possible indictment "the weakest case" against Trump, no fewer than five members of the panel echoed the Speaker.
Sure, some panelists tried to counter their admissions, with Al Sharpton claiming that this is actually "the heaviest case for him." That earned a dubious "huh" from Mika Brzezinski.
Jonathan Lemire summarized the fear gripping Democrats and their major-media allies:
"I do think there is concern. Democrats I've spoken to, including some senior members of the White House, who do fear that because this case is weakest, that if it is brought first, that it will be potential--allow Trump to then paint this one as illegitimate, that it's weak, and suggest that all of the other cases against him are as well. And that is something they're worried about."
These people would probably prefer "the strongest case" that makes Trump look like a dictator, not a cheating husband -- the Georgia voter case, or the January 6 probe. Instead, they're litigating about a porn star's sexual claims.
As for those who deny that this indictment is politically motivated, consider the record of Alvin Bragg, the hyper-liberal Manhattan DA who has expended huge resources on this investigation, grand jury proceedings, and countless more if the case actually goes to trial.
As we have documented, at the beginning of his term Bragg announced that he wouldn't seek prison sentences for crimes other than the most heinous ones, such as murder. Thus, even convicted armed robbers wouldn't do prison time. And speaking of armed robberies, Bragg declared that he would prosecute them as mere petit larceny in many cases. Other serious crimes would similarly be prosecuted as lesser offenses.
But here, Bragg has gone to extreme lengths regarding a possible prosecution of Trump for a non-violent misdemeanor than only via legal jujitsu could be upgraded to a felony—and the lowest-level felony at that.
Five Morning Joe panelists calling the possible indictment of Donald Trump in connection with the Stormy Daniels matter "the weakest case" was sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual, Ensure, and Abbvie, maker of Rinvoq.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
3/20/23
6:13 am EDTKEVIN MCCARTHY: Lawyer after lawyer after lawyer will tell you this is the weakest case out there.
. . .
CHARLIE SYKES: This may be, in many ways, the weakest case.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: If this is the weakest case, then look at all the others that are in line behind this one.
. . .
AL SHARPTON: But even if this is deemed the weakest case, I would argue that as one who has known Donald Trump as you and Joe have, this is the heaviest case for him.
MIKA: Huh.
. . .
JONATHAN LEMIRE: I do think there is concern. Democrats I've spoken to, including some senior members of the White House, who do fear that because this case is weakest, that if it is brought first, that it will be potential--allow Trump to then paint this one as illegitimate, that it's weak, and suggest that all of the other cases against him are as well. And that is something they're worried about.
. . .
CHUCK ROSENBERG: People keep referring to the New York case as the weakest case.
