Donald Trump is facing multiple criminal cases, but the one that recently landed in Georgia presents "unique" challenges for the former president, Jen Psaki said on Saturday.
Psaki, who a month ago correctly predicted that the second Jack Smith indictment would be about more than just Jan. 6, spent time in the Biden administration before joining MSNBC. She said Trump's indictment in Georgia can be traced back to an "obsession gone wrong."
"Donald Trump became fixated on Georgia as soon as it became clear he didn’t win the state in November 2020. (He was the first Republican presidential candidate to lose there since George H.W. Bush in 1992.)," Psaki wrote in a piece published on Saturday. "Three years later, that obsession has come back to haunt him. A grand jury in Fulton County indicted the former president (and 18 co-defendants) on state racketeering charges earlier this week."
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Among the reasons this indictment presents unique challenges beyond others he's faced, Psaki cites the existence of clear audio evidence.
"Trump is actually on tape here, pressuring Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn Georgia's election results," the article states.
Psaki also mentions the "broad" RICO act statute in Georgia, which can lead to serious penalties including extensive prison time, as well as the fact that a pardon wouldn't be easy to come by for Trump in that particular state.
Another factor that makes this a "perfect storm," according to Psaki, is that there are 18 other defendants. That's 18 opportunities for someone to flip on him, she noted.
Lastly, Psaki explained, Georgia doesn't bar cameras in the courtroom like the federal government does.
"Finally, if and when there’s a trial, it will likely be televised. That means the public could get a front-row seat, an opportunity that we have not had with the other three indictments," she wrote.
