Comedian Russell Brand said on his show on Friday that voters who value “democracy” and “freedom” should support former President Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.
Republican National Committee (RNC) spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko appeared on Brand’s “Stay Free with Russell Brand” to discuss her perspective on the upcoming election and the decisions voters need to make.
During the interview, Brand addressed her “concern” about the “disdain and vitriol” shown toward Trump supporters and denounced the “weaponization of the justice system” following the former president’s conviction. (Related article: Judge says juror’s cousin posted about Trump’s conviction on social media pages before verdict)
“Elizabeth, I have long been concerned by the condescension, scorn and vilification that supporters of Donald Trump apparently receive from his critics, and that the administration has copied and appropriated Donald Trump’s policies while simultaneously weaponizing the legal system to portray him as a criminal,” Bland began.
“If you have a choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, I don’t see any choice other than to vote for Donald Trump for the very reasons they claim if you value democracy, if you value freedom, you shouldn’t vote for Donald Trump,” he continued. “They’re acting as if voting for Donald Trump is the same as voting directly for Armageddon, as if they’re watching the hysterical performances outside the courtroom and the endless rants on MSNBC.”
“But I’m beginning to think otherwise,” Brand said. “The bigger threat to democracy is this kind of techno-feudalism that claims to care about people and protect the vulnerable while increasing censorship, increasing war funding, and widening the divide among ordinary Americans.”
Last month, Trump was unanimously convicted of 34 felony charges in a New York case in which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued him, alleging the former president made secret payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and falsified business records.
Republicans have accused Bragg’s team and Chief Judge Juan Marchan of having ties to Democrats and the Biden administration, and Democrats have already begun campaigning against the ruling. Emerson College A national poll conducted June 4-5 showed not only that Trump was leading, but also that a majority of undecided voters said the ruling would not affect their vote.
In a two-way race between President Trump and President Joe Biden, the former president is expected to have a one-point lead with 46% approval rating. In a close race between Trump, Biden, independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Biden is in second place with 38% of the vote, giving the former president a six-point lead.
The poll also found that a majority of Democrats (51%) said a guilty verdict would make them “less likely to support Trump,” while a majority of Republicans (55%) said it would make them “more likely to support Trump.” Among independents, 41% said the verdict would have no effect, 38% said it would make them “less likely to vote for Trump,” and 21% said it would make them “more likely.”
