Vice President Kamala Harris ripped into Donald Trump on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show, calling him a hypocrite and a cheater. In response to Republican claims that the Justice Department is “weaponized,” Harris said Hunter Biden’s prosecution is proof it is not.
The President’s son is facing federal charges for allegedly falsely filling out documents when purchasing a gun in 2018. Hunter Biden wrote that he did not have addiction problems, but in his memoirs, he said he was using crack cocaine at that time. Kamala Harris insisted his prosecution proves Republican claims that Joe Biden is responsible for pursuing President Trump in the courts are false. “If President Biden has weaponized the justice system, why doesn’t he get his son out of the trial?” she asked.
Donald Trump is adamant that the cases against him are politically motivated and intended to scupper his chances in the White House election later this year. Joe Biden said it was “irresponsible” and “reckless” to claim corruption because he did not like the jury’s verdict. Similarly, Kamala Harris stated that the jury – selected with the oversight of Trump’s attorneys – sat through weeks of evidence and came to their conclusion. She claimed the system had done its job, but “cheaters don’t like getting caught.”
Senior Republicans have rallied around the former President. House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to eliminate the “weaponization” of the Justice Department and called the conviction “shameful.” House Leader Steve Scalise agreed and described the American system as reminiscent of a banana republic. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said the charges should never have been brought.
Some commentators, however, have suggested that GOP candidates and officials are obliged to publicly agree with that stance or lose internal backing. For example, Republican Larry Logan, currently seeking a Maryland Senate seat, tweeted that he accepted the result and respected the legal system. Chris LaCivita, a senior figure on Trump’s team, replied, “You just ended your campaign.”