Democratic presidential nominee and self-help author Marianne Williamson promised Australians she would drop all charges against Julian Assange on her first day as US president should she be elected in 2024, despite having only an outside chance.
The promise was made in an interview with ABC Radio National on Thursday, during which Williamson waved away questions about whether she would uphold America’s commitment to the AUKUS deal, but promised to “withdraw all charges” laid against Assange.
“Because I believe that the free press is sacrosanct. I do not believe that Julian Assange or anyone else should have their life so horribly caught up to be treated or mistreated in such a horrible way,” Williamson said, “for simply practising journalism.”
The campaign to free Assange was last month buoyed by renewed optimism after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese aired frustrations with the government’s gridlocked diplomatic efforts to free the WikiLeaks co-founder. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, speaking to the broadcaster’s Radio National the following morning, offered the Coalition’s support.
Calls for Assange’s freedom returned to global prominence in the weeks prior, following attempts by the US to stoke international concern over the detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on espionage charges.
During a press briefing days earlier, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre swatted away questions of whether the US is “losing the moral high ground” on arguing for Gershkovich’s release when it continues to seek the extradition of Assange from the UK to the US.
On Thursday, Williamson said Americans deserve better than Biden, and that she hoped to woo voters with the prospect of free healthcare, free childcare, free education and more heading into the Democratic primaries.
Even still, US political insiders have branded her a longshot candidate without much, if any, chance of ousting President Joe Biden as Democratic leader.
The Democratic National Committee has so far ruled out the possibility of scheduling a primary debate between Biden and any of his challengers, while reports of Williamson’s most recent financial disclosures indicate her campaign is strapped for cash.
A recent CNN poll found that Biden is currently polling at 60% among Democratic voters to lead the 2024 ticket, while 20% favour the anti-vax propagandist Robert F Kennedy Jr, and 8% like the look of Williamson. A recent Fox News poll, meanwhile, had her as the favourite among 9% of Democratic voters.
In recent weeks, Williamson lost her two top campaign officials, for reasons still unknown, according to Politico, which in March reported that she was abusive toward her staff during her 2020 campaign.
She denied the charges — which included “foaming, spitting, uncontrollable rage” that resulted in her throwing her phone at staffers, according to three of them — in her ABC interview on Thursday, admitting only to raising her voice.
“You know, it’s interesting if you’re tried in a court of law, then there are rules of due process, they can say what they say and then your counsellor can cross-examine them. You can present your own witnesses and your own evidence,” she said.
“But if you are tried in a media circus, like those articles, those hit pieces, people can say whatever they want to say.”
When asked what it’s like to work inside American politics, which host Hamish Macdonald said appears “bonkers” from afar, Williamson said it was more “bonkers than you can possibly” imagine, laying blame on media scion Rupert Murdoch.
“We don’t forget that Rupert Murdoch is Australian. So he’s done a whole lot here to contribute to the bonkers-ness,” she said.
“It’s absurd, it’s ridiculous, and it’s serious all at the same time. And I think as much as I’m sure people in other countries, including your own, roll their eyes about us at times — and we deserve it — I also know that countries such as yours know that the world will not be a better place if America goes down.”
