In a contentious exchange Friday on CNN, Ohio Senator JD Vance angrily repeated several of the arguments Donald Trump and other republicans have advanced about Trump’s fraud trial felony conviction, prompting an incredulous response from Wolf Blitzer.
For example, Vance, a potential Republican vice president pick, argued that Judge Juan Merchan should have recused himself because he donated $15 to Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Blitzer interjected by noting the amount. “To explicitly stop Donald Trump,” Vance shot back.
Vance also claimed that Merchan “committed multiple elements of reversible error,” without specifying what those errors were, and also repeated the argument that Merchan’s prior political activities disqualified him.
Vance went on to say the entire trial was “politics masquerading as justice” and he will help Trump however he can. Blitzer quickly brought up Trump’s “obnoxious” comment about the American people living in a fascist state.
“Is the United State a fascist state?” Blitzer asked. “Were you outraged when he said that? Trump is calling the United States of America, the greatest country in the world, a fascist state. Are you okay with that?”
“I think this is disgraceful. This proceeding, this legal proceeding,” Vance said as the two talked over each other. “They’re trying to throw him in prison for a paperwork violation, Wolf. After the judge gave those jury biased instructions, after that judge donated to Donald Trump’s political opponent. Of course he’s going to be frustrated, and he has every right to be.”
Vance continued, “I don’t care what you call this but this is not the America that I know and love.”
Blitzer later said that Vance sounded like he was in full support of Trump “in everything that he’s done, in all the accusations that have been leveled against him.”
“Wolf I am absolutely supporting Trump because I think he will make the American peoples lives better but again this is so much bigger to me than Donald Trump,” Vance said. “I woke up heartbroken for our country because the precedent is set that if you don’t like somebody’s politics you should use the American system of law and order to try and destroy them.”
“Whatever happened to the Republican party being the party of law and order,” Blitzer asked. “This former president has been convicted 34 times.”
“Every single thing about this points to the fact that this was a political sham prosecution,” Vance responded.
Trump was convicted Thursday on 34 counts of criminal fraud for falsifying business records to conceal the hush-money payment made just before the 2016 election to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s sentencing is set for July 11 – days before Republicans are set to select him as the 2024 presidential nominee.
