Donald Trump's “Political Relevance” May Have Delayed DOJ ...

19 Dec 2022

Vanity Fair

Donald Trumps Political Relevance May Have Delayed DOJ

“If that’s not criminal, then I don’t know what is,” said Rep. Adam Schiff ahead of the January 6 committee’s vote on criminal referrals against the former president’s actions.

January 6 committee member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said he believes former President Donald Trump’s “political relevance” has delayed the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump.

On “State of the Union” on Sunday, Schiff told host Jake Tapper that he thinks there is enough evidence for Trump to be charged, but said he didn’t know whether Trump would be convicted, as the DOJ hasn’t released the evidence it has regarding the former president. Given Trump’s actions on January 6, Schiff said: “If that's not criminal, then I don't know what is.”

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However, Schiff also said Trump’s presence in the news cycle and in politics may have caused such a long delay in the probes, as it has been two years since the Capitol riot: “I find it hard otherwise to explain why, almost two years from the events of January 6th, and with the evidence that’s already in the public domain, why the Justice Department hasn’t moved more quickly than it has.”

“I think [Trump] should face the same remedy, force of law, that anyone else would. I do worry that it may take until he is no longer politically relevant for justice to be served,” Schiff said.

Perhaps to Schiff’s point, Trump appeared on Breitbart on Friday advocating for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker. The position must be filled before the new Congress starts on January 3, yet McCarthy, perceived to be the frontrunner in the race, isn’t projected to have the 218 votes (or a present majority) needed to make him Speaker.

“Now, I’m friendly with a lot of those people who are against Kevin. I think almost every one of them are very much inclined toward Trump, and me toward them,” Trump said. “But I have to tell them, and I have told them, you’re playing a very dangerous game.” The former president was referring to five Republicans who warned they would all vote the same way—and not for McCarthy: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Bob Good (R-Va.) and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.).

“Look, I think this: Kevin has worked very hard,” Trump said, adding, “I think he deserves the shot. Hopefully he’s going to be very strong and going to be very good and he’s going to do what everybody wants.”