CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria suggested that the hush money charge against Donald Trump may not have been filed if the defendant had been someone else, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The outspoken Trump critic discussed the possible consequences of prosecuting the ex-president Sunday’s episode by Fareed Zakaria: GPS. The host argued that the hush money trial and other pending criminal cases against Trump could benefit his 2024 bid for the presidency.
“The lawsuits against [Trump] Keep him in the spotlight, enrage his base, which sees him as a martyr, and may even make him the object of some sympathy among people in general who believe his accusers are politically motivated,” the host said .
“In my opinion this is true,” Zakaria continued. “I doubt the charges would have been filed in New York against a defendant whose name was not Donald Trump.”
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business documents to conceal payments aimed at suppressing negative stories, including stories about the alleged affair he had with an adult film star. Stormy Daniels.
The embattled former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which he has also repeatedly claimed are politically motivated and part of a “rigged” trial – a claim he repeated ahead of the proceedings. on Monday.
Zakaria, who has identified himself as Democratic-leaning but known for his independent analysis, expressed skepticism about the indictment filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and led by the Democrat. Alvin Bragg.
He also referred to A CNN poll This indicates that 44% of Americans had confidence that a jury would reach a fair verdict.
About 75% of Trump voters also said they would continue to support the candidate even if he is convicted of a crime, while about 24% said a conviction could make them reconsider their vote.
Zakaria’s comments came in the context of a broader analysis, including evaluating President Joe Biden’s stood ahead of the election, suggesting that support for the president was weaker than he expected. He noted that Biden was trailing Trump on key issues like the economy and immigration.
“The economy has been in a strong recovery for over two years now, with unemployment hitting a 54-year low in 2023 and rising only slightly since then,” Zakaria explained, “but Biden gets little credit for it. is grim.”
The host also mused that support for Biden was declining because of his actions in the Israel-Palestine war.
“Meanwhile, Republicans appear to be united behind Trump,” the host argued. “The opposition he faced in the primaries has largely melted away.”
