Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer expressed displeasure Friday over the $355 million fine imposed on former President Donald Trump in a months-long civil fraud trial in New York.
Spicer, who served under the Trump administration, said in an interview Friday on “The Hill on NewsNation” that, “Overall, today’s verdict defines what happens when insanity and treason produce a child.” That’s what I did.”
“This is insane. The idea of fining someone $350 million when no one was actually harmed,” he continued. “The banks didn’t complain, the insurance companies didn’t complain…everything Tish James explained was a complete lie.”
His comments come after Judge Arthur Engoron’s 92-page ruling ordered President Trump to pay a nearly $355 million fine for inflating or reducing his net worth to collect tax and insurance benefits. It was announced after. Engoron had already ruled last year that President Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud after New York Attorney General Letizia filed a lawsuit against the former president in 2022.
Trump will also be barred from holding any top executive position in New York City for three years.
Spicer said James had promised during his campaign that he would go after Trump if he was elected, and claimed the incident was “revenge.”
“This is a continuation of the weaponized justice system. We see it over and over again,” he told anchor Blake Berman Friday. “And everything they’re doing is in the hands of Donald Trump. He’s going to live with this, and he’s going to appeal.”
He argued that it would have made more sense if the amount had been lower, such as $10 million.
“If you look at the nature of other civil fines… they don’t come close to this,” he said.
Although the verdict was $16 million less than James had requested, he touted the verdict as a victory, saying “justice was served.”
“The scale and scope of Donald Trump’s fraud is astounding…and his ego is also astounding. And he believes that those rules don’t apply to him,” James said on Friday. Told. “Today, we will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
“We are holding him accountable for his lies, his cheating, and his lack of repentance. For his disregard for the rules we are all supposed to follow,” she continued, adding, “Because this country… So there can’t be different rules for different people, and former presidents are no exception.”
NewsNation’s “The Hill” airs Monday through Friday at 6pm EST.
NewsNation is a cable news channel launched in 2021 by Nexstar Media Group, which owns and operates dozens of local television stations across the country and acquired The Hill in fall 2021.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
