Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) said Friday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that what happened in former President Donald Trump’s New York City business record trial was the “definition of fascism.”
Guest host Wolf Blitzer said, “Are you interested in being the running mate of a convicted felon.”
Vance said, “Well, will the entire purpose of this trial was to allow the media and the Democrats to say exactly that. This is never about justice, this is about plastering convicted felon all over the airwaves when in reality the only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of as being in the courtroom of a political sham trial.”
Blitzer said, “So you don’t think this was a fair trial at all?”
Vance said, “No, Wolf, I do not think it was a fair trial at all. And more importantly, again, everybody’s focusing on Donald Trump understandably but the principle that we’re establishing applies across our politics. We’re basically saying that if you don’t like the outcome of the election or you don’t like how an election is about to transpire, you can try to throw your opponent in jail.”
Blitzer said, “Do you agree with Trump with what he just said because this jumped out at me, I thought it was obnoxious, when he said we’re living in a fascist state. Is the United States a fascist state?”
Vance said, “I am outraged at this entire proceeding not Trump’s criticism of it.”
Blitzer said, “Trump is calling the United States of America, the greatest country in the world, a fascist state. Are you OK with that?”
Vance said, “I think this is disgraceful. I don’t care what you call it.”
He added, “I think this proceeding, this legal proceeding is disgraceful.”
Vance concluded, “I think what happened in New York, if you apply to across all 50 states, would be the definition of fascism. Throwing your political opponents in jail. Thank God it only happened in New York and not the rest of the country.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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