Utah Sen. Mitt Romney partially blamed President Joe Biden for the ongoing attacks by Donald Trump and his allies on the justice system, arguing that the president “made an enormous error” by not pardoning Trump when federal charges were brought against him in the classified documents case.
Romney also argued Biden should have stepped in to pressure New York authorities to drop the election interference case against Trump for paying hush money to an adult film actress.
“He (Biden) should have fought like crazy to keep this prosecution from going forward,” Romney told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle.
“You may disagree with this, but had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him,” Romney said. “Why? Because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy.”
Trump faces 91 felony counts in four cases as he campaigns to return to the White House. There are 40 felony charges against him in the case involving classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Trump has also been charged with four felonies for his part in the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which resulted in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He also is facing racketeering charges in Georgia for the scheme to overturn his election loss.
He currently is on trial in New York for paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about having a sexual relationship with Trump to prevent that information from becoming public ahead of the 2016 election.
The former president and his Republican allies in Congress have relentlessly attacked the Department of Justice, claiming the legal system has been weaponized against Trump and conservatives. Romney argues Biden could have disarmed those attacks by pardoning Trump.
“I think it’s a terrible fault for our country to see people attacking our legal system — that’s an enormous mistake,” Romney told Ruhle.
Romney also ripped Republicans, including members of Congress, who have joined Trump outside the Manhattan courthouse where he currently is on trial.
“It’s a little demeaning to show up in front of the courthouse — and particularly one where we’re talking about an allegation of paying a porn star. And it’s really, really very difficult to watch,” Romney told CNN’s Manu Raju.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Sens. JD Vance, Rick Scott and Tommy Tuberville have all traveled to New York recently to defend Trump in public.
“There’s a level of dignity and decorum that you expect the people who are running for the highest station in the land, and going out and prostrating themselves in front of the public to try and, apparently, curry favor with the person who’s our nominee is embarrassing,” Romney said.