“I Didn’t Know I Was That Powerful” Biden Responds to Trump’s Accusations After Verdict
REUTERS
President Joe Biden dismissed allegations by Donald Trump that he influenced the guilty verdict in the Republican frontrunner’s recent hush money trial. Speaking to Fox News host Peter Doocy on Friday, Biden quipped, “I didn’t know I was that powerful,” indicating his detachment from the proceedings that led to Trump’s conviction.
Amid questions about potential political repercussions, Biden expressed uncertainty about whether the conviction would impact Trump’s prospects in the upcoming November elections, stating he had “no idea.” The conversation also touched on personal concerns, with Biden confidently addressing queries about his own legal risks linked to accusations around his son Hunter’s business dealings.
“Not at all. I didn’t do anything wrong. The system still works,” Biden remarked, reaffirming his belief in the integrity of the U.S. legal system despite Republican claims of his involvement in enriching his family, which he has consistently denied. The context of these discussions is framed by recent poll results released by the DailyMail, which surprisingly showed Trump gaining a six-point lead over Biden following the verdict.
Trump, addressing the poll at a press conference, noted, “The other thing – a poll came out. The first poll. Maybe others will be bad. But the poll just came out a little while ago [by] the Daily Mail…It has Trump up six points in the last 12 hours. Six points since this happened. Who thought this could happen? Because the people of our country know it’s a hoax.”
Trump was convicted on 34 counts of felonies, which centered around financial manipulations allegedly intended to obscure payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels through his then-attorney Michael Cohen, to prevent damage to his 2016 presidential campaign. The jury deliberated for 9 and a half hours before reaching their decision on Thursday afternoon.
Despite the clear verdict, Trump continued to assert that Biden and his administration were behind his legal predicaments, a claim for which there is no evidence. In response, Biden condemned these assertions as “reckless” and “dangerous.” He defended the integrity of the judicial process, emphasizing the regularity of jury selection and the ample opportunity given to Trump to present his defense.
Addressing the broader implications of Trump’s rhetoric, Biden stressed the significance of respecting the judicial system. “It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” he stated, as reported by The Washington Post. “Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it is the cornerstone of America. We should never allow anyone to tear it down,” Biden affirmed, championing the enduring values of legal fairness and equality under the law.
