Former President Donald Trump pled not guilty Thursday to charges from the Department of Justice that he illegally conspired to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Trump spoke to reporters at the airport following the plea. On Fox News’ “The Five,” co-host Jesse Watters praised Trump’s composure during his statement. Watters called Trump “calm,” “steady” and “loose.”
“This is his third indictment,” conservative political commentator Watters said. “I would have probably been wetting myself.”
Following other recent indictments, Watters said, “We’re kind of tired of it.”
Despite drizzle at the airport, Trump spoke with reporters gathered on the tarmac outside his plane at the airport.
“This is a very sad day for America,” Trump said to reporters. “When you look at what’s happening, this is a persecution of a political opponent. This was never supposed to happen in America. This is the persecution of the person that’s leading by very, very substantial numbers in the Republican primary and leading Biden by a lot. So if you can’t beat him, you persecute him or you prosecute him. We can’t let this happen in America.”
Trump also criticized the streets of Washington D.C., saying that he saw “filth and decay,” “broken buildings and walls” and “graffiti” on his way to the airport.
“Everything that has come out so far has landed with a dud,” Watters said. “And the timing of all of these legal actions has really benefited him.”
Outside the courtroom, the spokesperson for Trump’s legal team called the prosecution “election interference at its finest, against the leading candidate, right now, for president.”
“The Five” co-host Dana Perino, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, said that she felt the Justice Department hasn’t won in the court of public opinion since filing these charges against Trump.
Watters mentioned allegations against President Joe Biden and his family without mentioning the specifics of what he was referring to. Watters also called the previous indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office against Trump “a pile of garbage” and said that it didn’t make legal sense.
