Republicans are coming 'dangerously close' to 'criminal culpability' for helping Trump: Dem rep.

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Democratic Rep: Republicans could hold criminal culpability defending Trump

Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett argued that Republicans are coming "dangerously close" to criminal liability for defending Donald Trump against his indictments.

Republicans could have "criminal culpability" of their own for aiding Donald Trump as he faces criminal indictments, according to Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.

MSNBC’s "The Katie Phang Show" hosted the congresswoman Saturday where the main topic was the former president’s latest federal indictment brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday. Although progressive Democrats and leftist personalities cheered the indictments, Republican figures have largely condemned them as examples of political persecution or prosecutorial overreach.

Phang asked Crockett for her thoughts on Republicans "clamoring to defend the indefensible charges" against Trump.

Crockett claimed that Republicans failing to hold Trump accountable while also holding committee hearings on President Biden’s son, Hunter, could bring them "dangerously close" to "criminal culpability." 

Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett appeared on MSNBC's "The Katie Phang Show" on Saturday. (MSNBC)

"It is absolutely ridiculous that we have these actions playing out by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. You know, they are really getting dangerously close, in my opinion, to criminal culpability in and of themselves, as well," Crockett said.

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She added, "But if I were them, I would stop taking so many actions and continue to express your thoughts. But they are the ones that are weaponizing government when they are taking our committees and they are running these sham seemingly trials on behalf of Trump. We have said over and over and over that in a minute they are going to have to turn in FEC filings because of all of the contributions that they are giving to the Trump campaign."

Smith’s latest indictment against Trump stemmed from an investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, primarily on the allegation that he "spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won."

Former President Donald Trump received his third criminal indictment on Aug. 1 for his role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. ((Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))

Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley cast doubts on this charge, commenting that "the implications of this filing for free speech are quite chilling." 

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"There's got to be some point where you say enough. When you start to take a hatchet to the First Amendment in this quest to nail Trump, someone's gotta say look, he's not going to be the first president you don't like. We've had this First Amendment around for a long time," Turley said.

Crockett, however, insisted that Trump was being charged for his actions, not his words.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed two federal indictments against Trump. (Getty Images)

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"No one is being prosecuted for their thoughts. He is being prosecuted for his actions, along with his co-conspirators in the various indictments that he has. We have seen Jack lay out, in multiple pages of indictments, as what has been described on y’all's network as a shouting indictment in this last indictment. He has clearly laid out the actions of, not only Trump, but his co-conspirators. Honestly, anyone who was paying attention on January 6th, we saw what his actions lead to. No, it is not his thoughts, it is his actions," Crocket said.

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