OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy got some pushback from Fox News host Howie Kurtz after he appeared to suggest that President Joe Biden “meddle” in the justice system to help former President Donald Trump.
During one segment of Kurtz’s “MediaBuzz” show on Sunday, he read a statement from Biden about Trump’s ongoing legal problems: “His lack of ethics has nothing to do with me. I have not once talked to anyone in my administration about Trump’s legal problems.”
Then Kurtz asked: “What proof do you have to the contrary?”
“Isn’t it come out before, too, where he even in his own words proves that’s not true?” McCarthy responded. “When he was complaining to — in his staff about Trump and the legal issues?”
Kurtz said, “Wait, isn’t there a difference between complaining privately to your own staff and trying to meddle with the levers of justice?”
“I think fairness is a word that’s probably a really powerful word in America. Is it really fair that the nominee for one party is now within, is in a trial this close to a presidency?” McCarthy said. “Also, is it actually fair to the voters…? Why wouldn’t Joe Biden, caring about the voters, say, ‘You know what? This is wrong. If I had nothing to do with this, they should not have this trial right now so the American people could actually spend time on what the issues are.’ That would be the real issue for Biden to take.”
“Hold on — so you’re saying you did want President Biden, or you do want him, to meddle with the justice system, just in favor of Donald Trump?” Kurtz pressed.
“No! I want his opinion to be fair. I want his opinion to look for the American people in fairness. Who in America thinks it’s right that if Joe Biden was on trial right now beforehand, or that President Trump? And really, they’ve already looked at this issue how many times? And really, from the standpoint —” he said before Kurtz interjected.
“A lot of people passed on bringing those charges. That’s why I said what I said,” the host noted.
“Yeah! The feds already looked at it. And who do they, but, think about it, their number one witness has proven to be a liar in the process. Cohen, the attorney,” McCarthy, a California Republican, noted.
“We will see what happens when he testifies,” said Kurtz.
WATCH:
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy correctly noted that Biden was not being honest when he claimed that he hadn't spoken to anyone in his administration about Trump's legal issues. https://t.co/YOjFbVsJUS pic.twitter.com/rHu5dmVZuw
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) April 22, 2024
In April 2022, The New York Times reported that 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.
“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,” the report continued.
Some would argue it’s a stretch to believe that Biden’s “frustrations” were not “communicated” to Garland by someone from the White House, if not the president himself. Also, there are reports that Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, met with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis before indicting Trump.
Trump himself has accused Biden’s administration of colluding and coordinating with Democratic prosecutors in Georgia and New York to file cases against him that he says were meant as “election interference” — to keep him in court and off the campaign trail.
To that end, Trump’s hush money trial is set to begin on Monday in Manhattan after 12 jurors and 6 alternates were chosen last week.
