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‘A threat to democracy’: Strategic leak to NY Times reveals Biden wants Trump prosecuted over Jan. 6

April 3, 2022 | | Print Article

President Joe Biden has been telling people within his inner circle that he believes former President Trump was “a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted,” according to a new report, published Saturday.

The leak is revealed in a New York Times article that focuses on the pressure from frustrated Democrats that is mounting on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and the Justice Department to take action against Trump and his supporters for their alleged involvement in the now-infamous January 6 events at the U.S. Capitol. The article cites Garland’s “deliberative approach” to the ever-widening investigation into the riot and claims President Biden wants Garland to be more “decisive.”

“As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments,” The Times reported. “And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6.”

While the House committee tasked with investigating the events of January 6 continues to claim it has reason to believe Trump and those working with him broke multiple laws in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, the Washington Examiner notes that the charges Trump might actually be prosecuted for are, more than a year later,  still unclear.

According to a recent court filing for Trump-tied John Eastman, the Committee claims it has evidence that shows what amounts to a conspiracy between Eastman, Trump, and others that would have “corrupted the Department of Justice,” overturned “already certified election results,” obtained “false election certificates,” and defrauded the American people. But whether you believe the committee’s so-called evidence or not, the fact is, the committee can only make a criminal referral, leaving the decision to act to the Justice Department.

President Biden has made his desire for the DOJ to prosecute anyone who defied a subpoena from Jan. 6 committee investigators publicly known.

When asked by reporters in October if he believed resisters should be prosecuted, Biden responded, “I do, yes. I hope that the committee goes after them and holds them accountable criminally.”

While no one from the White House would respond to the Washington Examiner’s questions regarding the leaked insight, on social media, users are expressing their concern over the President’s perceived interference with the DOJ, especially when his own family is the subject of much speculation.

“Imagine what he’s doing to protect Hunter,” tweeted RNC Research in response to the Times’ story.

“He wants to avoid becoming a banana republic by acting like one? Got it,” tweeted another user.

“Strange how it is only undemocratic, and incompetently run, countries whose leaders feel the need to label their political opponents as ‘threats to democracy,’ ‘enemies of the people,’ foreign agents/saboteurs’ and other such unimaginative nonsense,” a third user noted.

Below is a sampling of the many reactions on Twitter:

Melissa Fine
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