CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig said Thursday that some Americans “in the middle” feel that the many criminal charges and civil lawsuits against Donald Trump feel like “a double whammy” against the former president. He said he is starting.
“CNN This Morning” panelists on Wednesday discussed Judge Lewis Kaplan's threat to bar Trump from the courtroom during his civil trial over sexual assault allegations against former President Jean Carroll. Former Republican strategist Lee Carter said Trump's defiant response to the threat and overall message that “he is ready to fight back” was very effective.
Honig said some centrist groups are starting to feel it's gone too far.
“In Lee's view, I think there's also a group in the middle. They just look at this and say, 'Okay, when he says this is a pile-on, at some point you start to feel that way.'” These I'm not saying the lawsuits are individually unjustified, but look at a person who has been indicted on four criminal charges and at least three major civil cases, including E. Jean Carroll, in a span of 18 months or so. There have been two 14th Amendment challenges to the United States Constitution, dozens of them, all of which have failed, gone viral, and are about to be rejected by the Supreme Court. You can understand if you can’t do that,” he said.
CNN legal analysts appeared on “CNN This Morning” Thursday to discuss Judge Kaplan's threat to bar Donald Trump from the court. (Screenshot/CNN)
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“But it affects his hands. It's like a Donald Trump jiu-jitsu move. You use your opponent's momentum and say this is a pile-on,” he added. .
CNN host Poppy Harlow said, “And you're a former federal prosecutor who knows what it takes to go after somebody, and you know, this is the time when a case of this magnitude… That's all I'm saying,” he added.
Honig agreed, adding that the plethora of lawsuits against Trump has affected the former president's effective messaging.
“Oh, again, I don't care if you look at any of these cases. I can absolutely defend the criminal charges, and I can absolutely defend the civil lawsuits. It's not necessarily somebody's fault. “I think, but when you take them all together, I think: The sheer number of them has an effect on the points that Lee and Leah have been making,” he said.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire, Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Mr. Kaplan admonished Mr. Trump for his audible reaction to Mr. Carroll's testimony before the jury, threatening that he could be barred from the trial if he continued.
During Carroll's testimony, Trump reportedly said things like, “That's not true,” “It's a witch hunt,” and “He's really a fraud.”
“Mr. Trump, I hope I don't have to think about removing you from the trial,” Kaplan said in an exchange after jurors were excused from lunch, adding, “Maybe you would do that to me.” I understand that they are eager to do so,” he added. ”
Trump responded from his defense seat, saying, “I would love to do that.''
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Fresh off a landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses, the former president continues to solidify support among the Republican Party, recently joining Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). is supported by. Trump maintains a steady and large lead over his Republican rivals in opinion polls and remains the favorite to win the 2024 nomination.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace, Eric Shawn and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
