Famed Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has called for Donald Trump’s hush money trial to be moved from Manhattan to the Republican enclave of Staten Island, arguing that Manhattan is so firmly Democratic that a fair trial is impossible.
The showitz argument was echoed by Trump himself, writing on Truth Social Thursday night: “They only brought these bogus, corrupt and shameful charges against me because I stand with the American people and they know I will not get a fair trial.” can New York!’
Trump was born in New York City but is widely unpopular in his liberal hometown and has moved his official residence to Florida.
“There’s no way he’ll get a fair trial in Manhattan,” said Dershowitz, who represented Trump in his first Senate impeachment trial, putting pressure on Ukraine for “dirtying” Joe Biden. He even claimed that any Manhattan juror who has acquitted Trump risks being disowned by liberal family members who are determined to see the ex-president jailed.
Alan Dershowitz appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show Thursday night and called for the Trump trial to be moved from Manhattan to Staten Island
Dershowitz told Hannity that Trump could not get a fair trial in the staunch Democratic borough of Manhattan
New York-born Dershowitz, 84, said the charges against Trump are impossible to refute in a district that’s a Democratic stronghold.
Joe Biden won New York City by a total of 2,321,759 votes — 1,630,077 votes more than the 691,682 received by Trump.
Every borough in Manhattan voted for Biden.
Trump’s nearly 700,000 votes were heavily concentrated on Staten Island, with niches of support in the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods of Brooklyn and parts of the Bronx and Queens.
Dershowitz told Fox News that Manhattan attorneys were too concerned with the reaction of their friends and family to give Trump a fair hearing.
“I would try to move it to Staten Island,” he said.
“Can you imagine a judge and a jury coming home and saying, I’m the man, I’m the woman that Donald Trump fired?
“No one would speak to them.”
The darker the grey-blue shading, the stronger the November 2020 Democrat vote in this map. The stronger the red, the more votes went to Republicans. Staten Island on the left of the map is clearly a Republican enclave, while that portion of the island of Manhattan — with the clear block of Central Park in the center — was fully elected Democratic in 2020
Dershowitz referenced a 2018 column for The Hill in which he spoke about the “shunning” he received in the liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard for defending then-President Donald Trump.
Dershowitz continues to complain about being “balled black” among society figures.
“It happened to me on Martha’s Vineyard,” Dershowitz said.
“Nothing compares to a judge or jury that allowed America’s most dangerous man to run for President.”
Republicans vented their anger Thursday after the indictments against Trump were revealed.
The indictment comes as Trump seeks to regain control of the Republican Party and fend off a mob of former allies who could threaten his presidential bid. But there was only unity within the GOP after news of pending criminal charges broke.
Mike Pence, the former vice president, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s decision to press charges against Trump was an abuse of power.
“The unprecedented indictment of a former president over a campaign finance issue is an outrage,” Pence said.
“I think the American people will see this as yet another example of the criminalization of politics in this country.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has blasted the decision to file criminal charges against his former boss as an abuse of power. “The unprecedented indictment of a former president over a campaign finance issue is an outrage.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered Trump’s top rival, called the indictment “un-American.”
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel called the charges a “blatant abuse of power by a prosecutor focused on political revenge.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, believed to be Trump’s potential top rival for the GOP presidential ticket, called the impeachment “un-American” in a statement Thursday night that specifically did not mention Trump’s name.
“If our justice system becomes armed as a political tool, it puts us all at risk,” tweeted Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.
“This is a blatant abuse of power by a prosecutor who is focused on political revenge rather than protecting people,” she said.
McDaniel was installed by Trump and resisted a challenge to her post earlier this year.
Her comment served as a signal to elected Republicans who supported Trump during the Russia investigation and two Senate impeachment trials.
“Outrageous,” said Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in a single word.
He is one of several House committee chairs who have already attempted to probe Bragg into his investigation.
Republican lawmakers in Congress continued to side with Trump, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“Alvin Bragg irreparably damaged our country when he tried to interfere in our presidential election,” McCarthy tweeted.
“The American people will not tolerate this injustice and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg accountable for his unprecedented abuse of power.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, in comments to , described the substance of the case as “complete rubbish”.
“It’s unfounded and frivolous.
“It’s a political pursuit, and ironically, the fact that this left-wing Democrat is pursuing it has already proven to be a significant political advantage for Donald Trump,” Cruz said.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican for North Carolina who has occasionally worked with the Biden administration, said the indictment “fails the smell test.”
He added: “The Justice Department has already reviewed the facts and decided that no trial should be instituted against President Trump.
“Congress has every right to investigate the conduct of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg,” he said Huffington Post.
Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Green, a congresswoman representing Georgia, vowed that “the gloves are off” — particularly when it comes to Joe Biden and his family.
“Impeach Biden,” she said.
‘He gave us all the reasons and the family bank records and more give us receipts.
“But now that the gloves are off. Track all crimes. Enough of these witch hunt cops***.’
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. condemned the indictment Thursday night: “Alvin Bragg irreparably damaged our country when he tried to interfere in our presidential election,” McCarthy tweeted.
House Judiciary Speaker Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) called the charges “outrageous.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted: “Impeach Biden. He gave us all the reasons and the family bank records and more give us receipts. But now that the gloves are off.’
A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg exits the Manhattan Courthouse March 30, 2023 in New York City after filing an indictment against Trump
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the content of the case “complete rubbish” in comments to .
How the impeachment will play out in the 2024 presidential primary and Republican race for control of the House of Representatives has yet to be determined.
Trump has used reports that could be blamed on him as a powerful fundraising tool and extended his lead over DeSantis in a new Fox News poll released Thursday.
Trump predicts it will backfire on Biden, who took office while former Trump fixer Michael Cohen was serving part of his three-year sentence for campaign finance violations related to the $130,000 hush-money agreement with Daniels.
The former president called it a “witch hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”
He railed against other probes and vowed to defeat Bragg.
“Now they’ve done the unthinkable,” Trump said, calling the charges a political act by his enemies.
“Never in the history of our nation has this happened before.
“I think this witch hunt is going to backfire massively on Joe Biden.”
Speaking exclusively to on Thursday, Eric Trump called the ruling a “reckless assault” and an example of “the decline of American law.”
His brother Donald Trump Jr. compared the charges to the actions of a ruthless dictatorship.
The former president has denied Daniel’s allegations of a sexual affair and is expected to plead not guilty.
“Let’s get this straight, folks,” Trump Jr. said.
“It’s like communist shit. This is stuff that Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot would do.’