Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) railed against the Justice Department on Sunday for taking too long to indict and prosecute former President Donald Trump in the various cases against him. He also lashed out at Trump for seeking to delay his trials.
While Schiff insists that his criticism is motivated by a desire for justice, it is abundantly obvious that this is more about politics.
Schiff made his remarks during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The host brought up Schiff’s disagreement with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s handling of the investigations into the former president, particularly when it comes to the timing.
The lawmaker responded, noting that the Justice Department “did wait at least a year to look beyond the foot soldiers, that is, those that broke into the Capitol that day and refrained from looking at those who were the inciters of the attack on the Capitol.”
He continued, lamenting that the cases against Trump could stretch beyond the election.
And yes, I think that delay has contributed to a situation where none of these trials may go forward, although it is still my hope and belief that at least one or two of them might go forward before the election. So yes, the Department bears some of that responsibility.
Schiff pointed out that “when they did bring the indictments, there was still time to bring those cases in a timely way” and complained that Trump’s legal team is now responsible for any delays in the proceedings.
Now then, let’s cut the c**p, shall we?
Schiff is upset about the pace at which the legal proceedings are occurring because of the upcoming presidential election. He is not motivated by a desire to pursue justice against the former president. He, like his comrades on the left, wishes that one of the indictments would result in a conviction before it is time for Americans to go to the polls.
Democrats believe that if Trump is convicted of a crime, it will lessen his chances of defeating President Joe Biden in November. Given that each of these indictments is motivated by a desire to influence the outcome of the presidential race, it is easy to see why Schiff and the gang are frustrated.
There are indications that Democrats’ assessment of the political landscape might be accurate. An NBC News poll conducted in February shows that if Trump is convicted of a crime, Biden will get a slight boost.
Trump leading current President Joe Biden by 5 points among registered voters, 47%-42%, in a hypothetical general-election matchup.
But when the survey’s final question re-asks voters what their ballot choice would be if Trump is found guilty and convicted of a felony this year, Biden narrowly pulls ahead of Trump, 45%-43%.
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll in the same month found that 51 percent of respondents indicated they would support Biden if Trump is convicted.
Considering these numbers, it is easy to see why Democrats are pushing the DOJ to rush the cases along. Currently, polls show that Trump and Biden are in a statistical dead heat. The president will need all the help he can get. Moreover, if the entire reason for indicting Trump was to skew the outcome of the election, then delaying the results of the trials isn’t going to do them much good, is it?