Republican Demands For Arrest Of Trump

Here’s what happened…

Michael Steele, an MSNBC host and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, called for the justice system to incarcerate Donald Trump following the former president’s recent social media attacks on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Last summer, Trump was indicted for allegedly mishandling classified documents after his departure from the White House in 2021 and for obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve these documents. This came after the FBI conducted a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in August 2022. Trump, who is also a leading candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, has denied all charges, asserting that the case against him is politically motivated.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the DOJ had authorized the FBI to use lethal force, referencing standard language included in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant. This assertion was part of a broader narrative he shared, accusing President Joe Biden of endangering his life and family. In an email to his supporters, Trump stated, “BIDEN’S DOJ WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME!… Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland responded to these allegations, labeling them as “false” and “extremely dangerous.” Garland emphasized that the language in the warrant was standard policy designed to limit the use of force and noted that this policy was also applied during the consensual search of Biden’s home.

In early 2023, the FBI found classified documents at Biden’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware, and in his office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. After an investigation, the DOJ opted not to press criminal charges against Biden.

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, speaking on MSNBC, highlighted that Trump and his family were not present at Mar-a-Lago during the search, as the FBI had coordinated the timing of the operation accordingly. Kirschner, a frequent critic of Trump, stressed that Trump remains out on bail in multiple cases.

“There is a legal mechanism to address this,” Kirschner explained. “If a pre-trial defendant is considered a danger to even one person in the community, the law mandates detention pending trial. This is yet another instance of unequal application of the law regarding Trump, and it’s causing significant issues.”

Steele added, “If we truly believe that no one is above the law, then Trump should be jailed. That’s the standard for everyone else.”

Newsweek reached out to Trump’s spokesperson and MSNBC for comments from Steele.

Kirschner expressed doubts that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing Trump’s classified documents case, would take action against Trump for his inflammatory rhetoric. Cannon, appointed by Trump, has faced criticism for decisions perceived as favorable to him. Recently, she indefinitely postponed Trump’s trial to address unresolved issues related to classified evidence.