Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., said on Sunday that Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg should “dispel all doubt” in the U.S. judicial process after a grand jury voted Thursday to indict former President Trump following the years-long investigation of the prosecutor.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Manchin argued that the indictment risks further dividing Americans and damaging their faith in the justice system.
“It’s a very sad time for America to be going through what we’re going through right now,” he said. “People are divided and they think maybe justice is biased. We have to make sure we wait and see what comes out next week, and I hope they do their job. And I’ve said this, no one is above the law, but no one should be the target of the law, especially not through the political process. So we’ll just wait and see next week. I hope they’re very thorough.”
CNN anchor Dana Bash asked Manchin for clarification on whether he thinks Trump, who is the current front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential race, is being targeted by Bragg for political reasons.
Senator Joe Manchin speaks at a conference in Houston, Texas, on March 10, 2023. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WHAT HAPPENS IF TRUMP IS Elected PRESIDENT WHILE THERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT? ‘THIS IS UNKNOWN AREA’
‘Is that what you think is going on here? That he’s a political target?’ she asked.
“No, I say remove all doubt,” Manchin replied. “You have to remove all doubt. You have to make sure you cross every t and dot every i, as they say. But you know that no one, the president, myself, or anyone else in Congress, whatever your status, is in the United States of America, you are not above the law. And on the other hand, no one should be targeted by the law either. So let’s get that cleared up, and let’s see where it goes.”
There is a “segment of society that believes that maybe it’s biased, that the system doesn’t work for everyone,” Manchin said during a subsequent appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“We need to come together. The American people want us to do our job,” he continued. “Let’s wait for what comes out next week. Let’s see where this goes. But the bottom line is that it’s a very sad time in America. You have geopolitical turmoil all over the world. Just think of the people who are our society don’t want.” or our form of democracy to work, be it China, Russia or whoever. They look and say, ‘Oh my God, let’s just sit back and watch this fight unfold.’ Well, I want to show them that as Americans we can work together.”
New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg had been investigating former President Donald Trump over alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. (Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images | Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump pulled in more than $5 million in donations in the 48 hours after he was indicted Thursday. The exact charges of the indictment are still classified, but Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said Thursday night that Trump could face more than 30 counts next week if he is indicted.
The allegations relate to Trump’s role in sending alleged silent payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to dissuade her from speaking out about their relationship.
The former president is expected to travel to New York City from his home in Mar-a-Lago on Monday before spending his final night before his arraignment at Trump Tower.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Secret Service will attend him while New York authorities book the president on Tuesday, take his fingerprints and photograph him.
Anders Hagstrom of Fox News contributed to this report.
Jessica Chasmar is a digital writer on the Fox News and Fox Business political team. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com.