'Cowardice': Former GOP attorney general slams House Republicans for defending Trump
Former George W. Bush administration Attorney General Alberto Gonzales expressed his horror at the criminal acts alleged in the classified documents indictment against former President Donald Trump on CNN Friday — and also tore into House Republicans for continuing to defend the former president and go after the federal investigators who have brought the charges.
"What was the most shocking part of the indictment, in your view?" asked anchor Jake Tapper.
"Well, there was just so much, Jake, quite frankly," said Gonzales. "The number of classified documents, where they were stored, completely unprotected, the efforts to hide them, to move them, to obstruct turning them over. You know, the story is quite compelling, quite honestly. It's going to be a very interesting trial, obviously. Like every other defendant ... former President Trump is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but a pretty compelling story here in this indictment."
"A lot of Republicans running to Donald Trump's defense today. A lot of them. The Speaker of the House, before the indictment was even unsealed. There's a statement I'm looking at from Senator Mike Lee of Utah, saying the Biden administration's actions can only be compared to the oppressive tactics routinely seen in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. He calls this 'an act of absolute disrespect which echoes despotism.' What's your reaction when you see the Republican officials making comments like that?"
"Well, they can move to those countries, quite frankly, and live under the rules in those countries, as far as I'm concerned," said Gonzales. "It's disappointing. I don't understand it. I've got great confidence in the men and women who — it's not perfect, we weren't perfect, and I'm sure this department is not perfect — they work very, very hard to get it right. And you know, this indictment is quite — it's quite overwhelming. And so I'm disappointed, quite frankly. At a minimum, I would have liked to have seen the leadership in the House and other Republicans in the House — you know, if they're not going to condemn the president, at least not say anything and let the trial play out and see what happens. It is disappointing, quite honestly. An attack on the Department of Justice is an attack on the rule of law. That's not good for this country. We've got enough serious problems as it is, and it's disappointing that our leadership, so-called leadership, at least on the Republican side, is acting the way that they are."
"I must tell you, Jake, I don't understand the hold that this person has on the Republican Party and the cowardice. And I'm going to call it for how I see it, the cowardice of people in the Congress who are afraid of Donald Trump and they're more concerned about the next election than the next generation in this country. It's disappointing. It really is. But we'll see what happens. Again, I'm proud of the work of the Department as reflected in this indictment. And we'll see whether or not the Department will be successful in bringing this person to justice."
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