MSNBC host calls for prosecution of Trump, says world expects it
MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan argues that not prosecuting former presidents makes the U.S. a global outlier in a negative way.
MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan finds it "uniquely American" that former presidents aren’t regularly prosecuted after leaving the White House but appeared hopeful that former President Trump could face charges to break the pattern.
"Speaking as a relatively new citizen to this country, one thing that is uniquely American about it is that no former President of the United States has ever been charged with a criminal offense," Hasan said on Sunday.
MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan finds it "uniquely American" that former presidents aren’t regularly prosecuted after leaving the White House. (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
"While that may seem normal to you, it is not normal everywhere else in the world. Former leaders in countries across the globe are being prosecuted and imprisoned all the time," Hasan continued. "In Israel, the ex-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is getting ready to launch a run for his old job even as his corruption trial is underway. Poor Bibi says he’s the victim of a witch hunt, hmm, where have I heard that before?"
The FBI raided Trump's property last month as part of an investigation into whether Trump illegally possessed classified national security materials at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump has slammed the raid as a "third world" tactic of the Biden administration.
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Hasan noted that Peru regularly prosecutes former presidents.
"So, you can understand why I chuckled when one reporter asked this question at a recent White House press briefing," Hasan said before airing a clip of Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller asking if the White House is concerned about the message the FBI raid of Trump’s home sends to the rest of the world.
MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan wants former President Trump to be prosecuted, suggesting the U.S is an outlier for not jailing its leaders. (Reuters)
"The rest of the world is probably wondering why he hasn’t been prosecuted yet, why we are a weird global outlier when it comes to giving former leaders some kind blanket immunity from prosecution," Hasan said before attacking media outlets that have used the term "unprecedented" when discussing the raid.
"They leave out the fact that what Trump did to prompt that search, and a possible prosecution, was also unprecedented," Hasan said.
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Hasan has emerged as one of MSNBC’s most liberal personalities and often attacks the mainstream press as insufficiently hostile to Trump and Republicans.
Mehdi Hasan has emerged as one of MSNBC’s most liberal personalities.
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The MSNBC host has also compared the ongoing Russian assault on Ukraine to past Israeli operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, called for the expansion of the Supreme Court and was mocked on social media for taking a shot at a local restaurant owner who felt the economy was in recession.
Fox News Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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