New York’s fraud conviction and gag order against Donald Trump all aim to take the former president off the campaign trail with “specious legal charges” and an “errant conviction,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey told Newsmax on Monday.
In an interview on “National Report,” Bailey said, “We've got to put a stop to the state of New York's attempt to destroy this presidential election by taking a candidate, a very popular candidate within the state of Missouri, off the campaign trail and silencing him.”
“It was always intended to stymie President Trump's ability to campaign. And it's hurting Missourians,” he added.
According to Bailey, it’s not just that “President Trump was tethered to the Manhattan courtroom for that long, and who knows what the sentence is going to be.”
“It’s also the fact that his speech was silenced and the First Amendment right to free speech applies not only to speakers, but to listeners as well,” he argued. “Missourian's want to hear from a presidential candidate the state of New York right now is denying their ability to do that.”
Bailey said nothing was done to sanction Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, who brought the case against Trump for falsifying business records.
“There are three different legal mechanisms to sanction a rogue prosecutor,” Bailey said. “None of those systems have been used in New York. And so rather than prosecute actual crime in the subways and city streets of New York, Alvin Bragg weaponizes his political office, his official office to go after President Trump. And it harms all Americans.”
Trump is expected to be sentenced on July 11, and remains under a gag order.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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