Former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) highlighted what he saw as the most scandalous moment of the Republican presidential debate in an MSNBC panel on "Deadline: White House" Thursday.
Specifically, he said, it was the moment where Republican candidates broadly refused to rule out backing and voting for Trump again, even if he is convicted in a court of law in the multiple criminal cases against him.
"What does [democracy] look like as a campaign message?" asked anchor Nicolle Wallace.
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"It's hard to translate down to the price of gas," said Jolly, a frequent critic of his former party. "I think what is critical ... [is] your right to self-determination, your ability to exercise your vote, your ability to participate in the economy that's free and fair, to access opportunity and health care and industry and all of these other things. None of that happens if we have a regime in Washington that is focused on protecting one person, or perverting the rule of law, or creating a system that is unequal in how it provides freedom among the people. I think that's it. The ability for the American voter to achieve their own self-determination is something that Democrats have on their side right now, and Republicans remind us time and time again that they are willing to crush democracy, to shred the Constitution, to trample on individual rights for their own ability to protect their power. That's where it becomes power, the power of the individual voter."
"That's where Republicans are offering ammunition to make — raising your hand and saying you will support a convicted felon means you don't believe in the institution you take an oath to protect, because the rule of law applies to everyone evenly and you're saying it doesn't apply to Donald Trump," said Wallace.
"One of the most damning moments was, 'If Donald Trump is convicted of crimes, federal or state, for subverting the Constitution or hiding classified documents, whatever that crime may be, I still think he should lead the nation,'" said Jolly. "You can't suggest that somebody whose been impugned on their ability to protect the rule of law has the ability to deliver to the individual their exercise of the freedoms and laws that we're given. A damning moment for those candidates on stage last night."
Watch the video below or at the link here.
David Jolly highlights scariest moment of GOP debatewww.youtube.com
