Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, clashed with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer on Friday over whether former President Trump was fairly convicted in his New York hush money trial.
Vance, who is on Trump’s vice presidential pick shortlist, defended the former president’s statements about the conviction being an unjust, political ruling done for the sake of boosting Biden’s re-election chances and hurting Trump’s run.
"You cannot say that this trial was anything more than politics masquerading as justice," Vance told Blitzer during his appearance on "CNN Special Report."
Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Thursday. Trump allies — and some liberal media pundits — insisted the law was manipulated to fortify the outcome.
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"Are you interested in being the running mate of a convicted felon?" Blitzer asked Vance at the start of the interview.
Vance rejected the premise.
"Well, Wolf, the entire purpose of this trial was to allow the media and the Democrats to say exactly that," the senator said. "This was never about justice, this is about plastering ‘convicted felon’ all over the airwaves, when the only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial."
Blitzer said the jury was approved by Trump’s own legal defense team. Vance countered by noting how the other actors in the trial made it political.
"My complaint is not with the jury, Wolf, my complaint is with the judge, with the jury instructions that were clearly reversible, with the fact that the judge had donated to the Biden campaign, which should force a recusal under the New York rules for the judge," Vance said.
Blitzer argued that the judge donated an almost negligible $15 to Biden's campaign.
Vance asked the anchor to let him finish his answer and continued his argument.
"This judge committed multiple elements of reversible error, and he did it while his daughter has made a ton of money off of Democratic candidates, and while he himself donated to the Biden campaign," the senator said. "If we allow the standard that you can throw your political opponents in jail because they‘re doing better than you in an election, it will be the end of this country as we know it."
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Blitzer rejected that Biden pushed the case.
"This wasn’t a trial organized by Biden, this was a trial organized by New York City, the District Attorney in Manhattan," he said.
Vance said that wasn't until "the number three person in the Biden Department of Justice joined that prosecutor’s office and then goes after Biden‘s political opponent."
"This absolutely is connected to Joe Biden, Wolf," he continued. "Beyond that, you had Robert De Niro showing up at a Biden campaign rally on the day of jury instructions. This has politics written all over it."
Blitzer brought up Trump’s Friday presser and his argument that the conviction means America is a fascist country.
"Were you outraged when Trump said that?" the anchor asked. Vance said he was "outraged at this entire proceeding, Wolf."
Blitzer interrupted and said, "Trump is calling the United States of America, the greatest country in the world, a fascist state. Are you OK with that?"
Both men raised their voices as they tried to drown the other out. As Blitzer repeated, "Are you OK with that?" Vance replied, "After the President of the United States uses the power of the courts and his power as president to throw his opponents in jail — I think this is disgraceful! I don’t care what you call it, Wolf."
"That Trump is disgraceful?" Blitzer asked. "I think this proceeding, this legal proceeding is disgraceful," the lawmaker clarified.
"But what about Trump calling our country a fascist state?" Blitzer asked.
Vance responded, "They’re trying to throw him in prison for a paperwork violation, Wolf!"
"I don’t care what you call this, but this is not the America I know and love," he said elsewhere.
