Former Republican congressman David Jolly said he is becoming "exceedingly" fearful about former President Donald Trump's potential to incite violence ahead of the 2024 presidential primaries and general election.
In an appearance Sunday morning with Julian Castro on MSNBC, Jolly pointed to recent reported threats against Colorado Supreme Court justices and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows in the wake of rulings to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot.
Jolly, who now identifies as an independent, also fears more incidences like the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 uprising at the U.S. Capitol, when supporters of then President Trump descended on the federal legislative building to prevent the official certification of the 2020 election results, which gave Joe Biden the presidency.
When asked about his level of concern about the potential incitement of violence against election officials, Jolly, who served as the Representative for Florida's 13th congressional district, told Castro:
"Exceedingly. I think this will be a tool that we will see during the course of the 2024 campaign," he said. "And in many ways, though Donald Trump did not give rise to political violence, he kind of mainstreamed it through failing to condemn it, and at times, stoking it. His entire role in the Jan. 6 insurrection was about his inciting violence to try to prevent the peaceful transfer of power."
"Will he go to similar means to try to intimidate and ensure that he is best positioned for reelection or a return to the White House? Of course, he will," he said.
However, Jolly continued, decisions to remove Trump from the ballot could have "political resonance" with the former president's devoted base.
Bellows' decision, especially, has been under fire. CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig recently questioned whether the hearings were fair. He said Bellows heard from only one fact witness, a law professor, to come to her decision.
"She based her ruling on a lot of documents, but also YouTube clips, news reports, things that would never pass the bar in normal court," Honig said.
Jolly echoed similar concerns regarding one person making such a crucial decision for state voters.
"The question of whether or not the Secretary of State could independently disqualify Trump from the ballot, that has some political resonance," he said. "You can make that case that he should be disqualified, but Trump's proponents will ask, who will make that finding a fact? Is it one person in Maine or should due process require a criminal conviction? Jack Smith hasn't even charged insurrection."
Newsweek reached out to Jolly through his website for additional comments.
The Supreme Court has been asked to rule on whether Trump has presidential immunity from his election fraud case in Washington D.C. The case is being brought by Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith.
The Supreme Court is also expected to accept a case to decide whether Trump can be banned from state ballots as an "insurrectionist" as defined by Section 3 of the 14th amendment.
Trump has maintained his innocence in all legal proceedings against him. The former president and his allies say that the investigations and charges are politically motivated.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's representatives via email for comment.
Jolly said, ultimately, the Supreme Court needs to rule "with clarity" when it accepts Trump's cases.
"The declarations by the Supreme Court become so important this cycle," he concluded.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
"about" - Google News
January 01, 2024 at 12:11AM
https://ift.tt/E2Qizyf
Former GOP Congressman 'Exceedingly' Worried About Trump Inciting Violence - Newsweek
"about" - Google News
https://ift.tt/wGr0Yos
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Former GOP Congressman 'Exceedingly' Worried About Trump Inciting Violence - Newsweek"
Post a Comment