Former White House counsel Ty Cobb said he “should be concerned” about what former President Donald Trump, facing criminal charges and a vendetta, might do to political opponents in a second term.
Trump, who was convicted of 34 felony counts last month, has said multiple times since then that he wants retribution against Democrats who he falsely claims engineered his legal troubles for political gain.
“I think it’s a concern,” Cobb said. He told NBC News on Tuesday.“From a 30,000-foot perspective, Trump looks angrier now that he’s been convicted.”
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity last week, Trump said he was justified in attacking his political opponents, including President Biden.
“Look, after this election is over, I have every right to go after them after what they’ve done,” he said. “And it’s easy, because it’s Joe Biden. You look at all of the criminal activity, all of the money that’s flowing to his family and to him, all of this money from China, Russia, Ukraine.”
The next day, in a conversation with TV personality “Dr. Phil” McGraw, he again floated the idea of revenge against the Democrats.
“Yes, revenge takes time, I’ll acknowledge that,” Trump said Thursday, “and sometimes revenge is justified, Phil, I have to be honest with you. Sometimes it is justified.”
Seeking revenge is nothing new for Trump: The concept has been discussed around the 2024 presidential campaign for months, raising alarm among political historians and politicians alike.
Republican Senate leaders have signaled their reluctance to entertain Trump’s idea of prosecuting Biden and his family, while the House continues its so far fruitless impeachment inquiry.
Sen. Mike Rounds (D-Lausanne) told The Hill that he believes the lawsuit against Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is an “unfair prosecution.”
But they are concerned that Trump has vowed to retaliate with politically motivated prosecutions if elected president in November.
“This is not the direction we want our country to go,” he said. “I think it’s time for adults to take over when it comes to the Senate, and I think it’s time for adults to take over when it comes to the Congress. [to] How do we deal with the judicial environment in this country?
“I don’t want to see prosecutors retaliating against each other. I think that’s the wrong direction. I don’t think that’s the path we should be going,” Rounds said. “I think we have to get back to what our founding fathers originally wanted, which is a justice system that’s not just filled with far-left and far-right political appointees.”
Democrats have been even more vocal in their criticism of such remarks.
“Using our criminal system to prosecute enemies and political opponents is completely antithetical to the fundamental values, laws and norms on which our country is founded,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (R-NY).
“Republicans would like to claim that the various charges against Donald Trump are political, but that is not the case, and there is absolutely no evidence that the Manhattan District Attorney’s decision or the actions of Special Counsel Jack Smith were politically motivated,” he added.
