President Joe Biden addressed the elephant in the room — or in the nation — today, saying that before he began his scheduled remarks he wanted to speak about what “happened yesterday in New York City.” Famously, there are 8 million stories in the naked city — but the one that grabbed all the attention, and which Biden spoke of, was the conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts.
Biden characterized the trial as a moment when “the American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed.” Biden emphasized due process, saying “Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself — it was a state case, not a federal case — and it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you.”
Biden: The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed. Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. After five weeks, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts. pic.twitter.com/cOKy7LxX8x
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 31, 2024
Biden went on to assert how the protocol of Trump’s trial was no different than any other trial in America from the presentation of evidence to the selection of a jury, “a process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of.”
Biden also emphasized the “unanimous” verdict and Donald Trump’s ability to appeal the decision, before saying “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.” (Note: Trump has led the call to characterize the legal process as “rigged.”)
Calling the American justice system the “cornerstone of America,” Biden asserted that “the justice system should be respected and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that. That’s America. That’s who we are.”
With his statement, Biden takes aim not only at Trump, who routinely attacks the justice system and calls it “rigged” against him, but also Trump acolytes like House Speaker Mike Johnson whose post-verdict statement denigrating due process defamed the justice system and, in Biden’s words, aimed to “tear it down.”
Hard to think of something more shameful than an elected official so close to the presidency belittling the patriotism of twelve random Americans risking their lives as well as their families for a measly $40 a day.
You are an abhorrent disgrace, speaker. https://t.co/b3PzL3AGlm
— Janna Bastone #DemsDeliver (@janna_bastone) May 31, 2024
Writing about what he characterized as a “shameful day in American history,” Johnson contended that the “weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration, and the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.”
One response to Johnson, repeated in the comments in different variations, was this: “Law and order and due process are not shameful Mr. Speaker.”