OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A Florida real estate mogul and former top bundler for then-candidate and President Barack Obama has sounded off on New York Attorney General Letitia James over her civil fraud case against Donald Trump.
In an interview on Fox News on Thursday, Don Peebles, who was involved in Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, said Trump’s real estate dealings with New York banks were a “victimless crime” and said James’ suit “should never have been brought.”
“Had it not been [Trump], it wouldn’t have been brought because there’s never been a case like this before,” Peebles told host Neil Cavuto. “I think that is an example of why Trump continues to rise in the polls. They are making him into a martyr.”
“This case amplifies that it’s very difficult to do business in New York, and if you happen to be a wealthy, successful entrepreneur, watch out because the government can be used to weaponize [against] you, especially if you get out of line and do something that the far-left doesn’t like,” Peebles—who remains a major financial player in the Democratic Party—added.
“They will not hesitate to disrupt your business or, worse, put you in jail,” he noted further.
WATCH:
Trump has until Monday to come up with a $454 million bond which he must pay before he can even appeal the ruling, which, in an of itself, is outrageous to several legal experts.
Pollster Frank Luntz warned that if James seizes Trump’s assets like she is planning to do if he can’t come up with the bond, it could create victimhood and increase his chances of being elected in 2024.
“I want you to remember this moment and don’t forget it. If the New York Attorney General starts to take his homes away, starts to seize his assets, it’s all going to be on camera. Pundits are going to sit there and scream about this, this man cannot be elected. You’re going to create the greatest victimhood of 2024 and you’re going to elect Donald Trump,” Luntz told CNN’s John Berman on Thursday.
“If they take his stuff, he’s going to say that this is proof that the federal government and the establishment and the swamp in Washington and all the politicians across the country and the attorneys generals and all of this, that this is a conspiracy to deny him the presidency. He’s going to go up in the polls just like he went up every single time they indicted him,” Luntz added.
He continued: “The indictment, let’s not talk about whether it’s justified or not, but it will prove the things that he’s saying on the campaign trail, and he will go up, and it may just elect him president. Do not forget that. And I say this to the attorney general right now, if you play politics on this, this is what the secretaries of state did in Colorado and what they did in, I believe, in Maine. His numbers went up in both states.”
“I don’t understand. I’m almost speechless in how pathetic the opposition to Trump has been and how completely misguided, and this is a perfect example of it…How is Donald Trump beating Joe Biden? He’s got 85 indictments that still exist, felonies. How is he beating Joe Biden with the economy getting better and things cleaning up? Okay. We got – you still have inflation. You still got immigration. Trump is leading. And in the seven swing states, Trump is up by the margin of error in five out of seven. Why is that happening?” Luntz asked.
“Because his critics are stupid, and they’re running a horrible campaign. And for those people who do not want Joe – Donald Trump back, they should be thankful that the people who are orchestrating his loss are as pathetic and they don’t understand the American people,” he concluded.
