A day after his conviction on 34 felony charges, former president Donald Trump held a rambling press conference Friday during which he bad-mouthed the U.S. justice system and just about everybody but himself. Capitalizing on this this, the Biden administration issued a statement that called the Republican candidate and convicted felon unfit for public office.
“America just witnessed a confused, desperate, and defeated Donald Trump ramble about his own personal grievances and lie about the American justice system, leaving anyone watching with one obvious conclusion: This man cannot be president of the United States,” Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign communications director, said in a statement.
To secure the last nail in the coffin, Tyler added: “Unhinged by his 2020 election loss and spiraling from his criminal convictions, Trump is consumed by his own thirst for revenge and retribution.”
President Joe Biden went on to hold his own press conference where he took his own jabs at Trump.
“The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Biden told reporters. He noted that Trump had opportunities to defend himself (he chose not to testify) and that the jury was in his hush money case was chosen, as with any other case, with input from the defense counsel. Like "everyone else," Biden said, Trump also has the right to appeal the verdict.
“That's how the American system of justice works,” Biden said. “And it's reckless, it's dangerous, and it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was 'rigged' just because they don't like the verdict. Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years and it literally is the cornerstone of America.”
In addition to Trump, numerous elected Republicans have come out against the jury's verdict, which House Speaker Mike Johnson asserted was a "shameful" instance of "lawfare."
In a shout out into the void, Biden concluded his remarks on the Trump verdict by arguing that the justice system should be respected by all, including Republicans, and that nobody should ever be allowed to “tear it down.”
