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Andy McCarthy: Bragg’s case against Trump ‘hinges’ on ‘porn star,’ man with ‘deep credibility problems’

March 19, 2023 | | Print Article

Fox News contributor and former assistant U.S. attorney to the Southern District of New York, Andy McCarthy, suggested that progressive Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has some “credibility problems” with his case against Donald Trump, who announced on Truth Social on Saturday that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday for a “hush money” payment he made to Stormy Daniels.

Appearing with Fox’s “One Nation” host, Brian Kilmeade, on Saturday, McCarthy pointed to the two key witnesses in the prosecution’s case and said Bragg wasn’t “starting out in a great place.”

(Video: Fox News)

After Kilmeade reported that, according to a Trump spokesperson, the former President had not received formal notification of an arrest, the host asked McCarthy for his take on the case.

“[Bragg] walked away from it, Brian” McCarthy replied, “and my old office, the Southern District of New York, the federal prosecutors in Manhattan also wanted no part of this case.”

The D.A.’s case, he continued, “hinges not only on the testimony of the porn star Stormy Daniels… The other crucial witness here is Michael Cohen and I think, probably, the feds walked away from him because of his deep credibility problems.”

McCarthy noted he thought “it’s credible for [Daniels] to claim that this happened way back when, but at the same time, you know, she’s on record… a couple of times saying it didn’t happen.”

“So you’re not starting out in a great place with those witnesses,” the National Review columnist added.

McCarthy said he believed it was unlikely that, should Trump be arrested, America would see him perp-walked for the cameras.

“The NYPD and the DA’s office will get him through the processing,” he explained. “I don’t think he’ll be arrested in the traditional sense of they’ll place handcuffs on him and perp-walk him. Given all the security and logistical nightmare that’s involved with this kind of proceeding with a former president, what I’d expect is they’ll figure out a place for him to surrender in a secure area where the Secret Service will stay with him.”

“The New York City police will process him, meaning they will do fingerprints and photographs, which is what they do for every person who comes into the system,” he continued. “I doubt we’ll see the mug shot any time soon. We shouldn’t see it because it’s supposed to be non-public. I know these things leak from time to time, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for this one for a while.”

“And then they’ll have to get him to court where he’ll be making an initial appearance before a judge,” he said. “I’m sure they will secure that before this all starts as well.”

Kilmeade cited reports that “there hadn’t been high-level discussions between the Trump camp and the Bragg camp,” to which McCarthy replied, “You are quite right.”

“That doesn’t mean the NYPD and the Secret Service are not coordinating,” he warned. “Even if this doesn’t happen Tuesday, it will happen at a time where they have been able to plan this, where it’s as secure it can be.”

If Bragg does take the unprecedented step of arresting a former president, McCarthy predicts the floodgates will open.

“I think once the first prosecutor crosses the Rubicon, we’ll hear from the others,” he predicted, referring to the case against Trump in Georgia and the classified materials seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. “I think there is a lot more coming.”

Melissa Fine
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