Chicago Tonight | Spotlight Politics: Trump’s Latest Indictment … – PBS

>>> DONALD TRUMP IS DUE IN COURT TOMORROW TO FACE THE LATEST AND I WENT, THE LATEST ON CHICAGO’S MIGRANT CRISIS IN TONIGHT’S SPOTLIGHT POLITICS.

JOINING US THIS WEEK ARE THESE TWO CORRESPONDENCE.

HERE’S WHAT JACK SMITH SAID YESTERDAY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S LATEST INDICTMENT.

>> THE ATTACK ON THE NATION’S CAPITAL ON JANUARY 6 >> THE ATTACK ON THE NATION’S CAPITAL ON JANUARY 6, 2021 WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED ASSAULTS ON THE SEAT OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.

DESCRIBED THE INDICTMENT, IT WAS FILLED WITH LIES.

LIES BY THE DEFENDANT AND WAS TARGETED AT OBSTRUCTING A BEDROCK FUNCTION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.

>> ARE THESE THE MYSTERIOUS CHARGES THAT TRUMP IS FACING?

>> SERIOUS IN THE WAY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IS FRAMING THIS.

WHAT IT REPRESENTS, THE CONSPIRACIES REPRESENT EFFORTS TO HOLD ONTO POWER EVEN THOUGH THE VERDICT WAS RENDERED .

THEY ELECTED JOE BIDEN WITH EVIDENCE IN THE DOCUMENT THAT DONALD TRUMP KNEW THAT HE LOST WITH CREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON HIS TEAM TELLING HIM THAT HE LOST WITHOUT ANY OTHER CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO OVERTURN THE ELECTION BUT THE CONSPIRACIES CONTINUED.

I WOULD SAY THE DOCUMENTS CASES BECAUSE OF THE PRESIDENTS ALLEGED OBSTRUCTION OF THE INVESTIGATION AND NOT TURNING OVER THE DOCUMENTS, HE IS IN LEGAL PERIL WITH THAT SPENDING MONEY ON LAWYERS.

HE WAS PAYING FOR VOTERS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES.

>> AND THE OTHER CASES THE HUSH MONEY CASE .

THAT’S A DIFFERENT CASE FROM WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH THESE ALLEGATIONS IN REGARDS TO JANUARY 6.

HE’S CALLING THIS A BIDEN WITCHHUNT.

OUR ELECTION LINES COVERED UNDER FREE SPEECH?

>> THIS WOULD BE A QUESTION ASKED AT THE HEART OF THE CASE .

THIS WOULD BE PART OF HIS SENTENCE.

DOES THE AMENDMENT COVER FREE SPEECH?

AS FAR AS I KNOW THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOESN’T COVER USING THE INACCURACY OR THE INFORMATION OR LIES TO SUBVERT THE U.S. ELECTION .

I THINK THAT’S THE STEPS THAT THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR WILL FOCUS ON AND THE INTENT THAT DONALD TRUMP, THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THE INFORMATION WAS INACCURATE AND USED IT TO OVERTURN THE U.S. ELECTION.

>> HE’S LEADING THE OTHER GOP CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTS.

WILL THIS MAKE A DENT OR BRING HIM DOWN AT ALL?

>> THESE THINGS HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT PERHAPS EVEN INCREASE HIS STANDINGS WITH HIS BASE OF VOTERS BECAUSE THIS NARRATIVE AND MESSAGING STRATEGY THAT THIS IS POLITICIZED, THIS RESONATES WITH THE VOTERS.

IT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE AT THE LEGAL LEVEL THAT IT’S MORE THAN A PUBLIC OPINION.

THERE ARE REPUBLICAN STRATEGISTS WHO SAY IN A GENERAL ELECTION THIS MAY NOT BE GOOD BECAUSE IT MAKES A REFERENDUM ON HIM.

NOT A REFERENDUM ON THE FOUR YEARS OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANT.

>> THIS COMES DOWN TO IT HE COMES AWAY WITH THE NOMINATION HE’S RAISING MONEY ON THE INDICTMENTS BUT AS WAS MENTIONED, HIS REPORTS SHOW HE’S PUTTING A LOT INTO ATTORNEYS.

>> $40 MILLION FOR LEGAL FEES THAT ALSO THOSE WHO’VE BEEN WRAPPED UP IN THE LEGAL CASE.

HE’S OFFERED LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THERE IS SOME SORT OF ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE LOYALTY FROM TRUMP.

THESE ARE PAST CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SMALL DONATIONS FROM SUPPORTERS WHO ARE PAYING LEGAL FEES.

HE SAID THAT THIS IS TO HELP INNOCENT PEOPLE FROM UNLAWFUL HARASSMENT.

>> WHAT HAPPENS IF HE’S FOUND GUILTY BEFORE THE 2020 ELECTION?

>> I REVIEWED THE CONSTITUTION AND I DON’T THINK THE SCENARIO HAD BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT.

GOING BACK TO THE GOVERNOR , PER STATE LAW WHEN HE WAS CONVICTED OF HIS FELONY HE COULD NOT RUN FOR STATE OFFICE .

HE’S JOKED ABOUT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS BECAUSE THERE’S NO SUCH PROVISION ABOUT BEING CONVICTED OF A FELONY FOR FEDERAL OFFICE AND IF HE IS ELECTED AND IS CONVICTED AND HAS TO SERVE JAIL TIME THERE’S CERTAINLY NO REAL ANSWER TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT HE WOULD EITHER PARDON HIMSELF OR ORDER THE DOJ TO DROP THE INVESTIGATION.

>> NOTHING PRESENT WITHIN ANY OF THIS.

>>> SOME ARE SAYING THIS WAS DONE AHEAD OF LOLLAPALOOZA.

IT’S A POLITICAL MOVE?

>> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON THE HEAVENLY DENIES THIS SAYING HIS OVERALL STRATEGY IS TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE TEMPORARY LOBBIES , SLEEPING ON THE FLOORS, 950 PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE POLICE STATION FLOORS AWAITING SHELTER.

SAYING THAT THE MIGRANTS WERE HAPPY TO BE MOVED AND MOVED INTO A SHELTER.

THAT SAID THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE HAPPY WAITING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE POLICE STATIONS SO THIS IS HARD FOR US TO DECIPHER BUT YOU DO POSE A QUESTION WHETHER THIS IS A POLITICAL MOVE, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, THE CITY WANTS THEM TO LOOK GOOD AND SPEND TOURISM DOLLARS, THIS IS THE QUESTION IN 2024 WITH MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO CHICAGO.

LOCATIONS, SOME OF THEM REMAINING IN POLICE DISTRICT STATIONS THAT ARE NOT JUST DOWNTOWN.

DOES THE MAYOR ACTUALLY HAVE A PLAN?

>> IT’S A YEAR AWAY AT IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A COHESIVE PLAN MADE YET.

THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO COME UP WITH OVERARCHING PLANS BECAUSE THE BUSES JUST KEEP COMING IN.

60 BUSLOADS SINCE HE TOOK OVER SO THEY HAVE TO GET NEW PLANS.

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S A GAUNTLET WITH EVERY COMMUNITY THEY GO TO THEY GET A PUSH BACK.

AND THIS YEAR WE REPORTED ON THE ABANDONED KMART, THAT SHOULDN’T GET PUSHED OUT BUT IT DID FROM A LOCAL OFFICIAL SO THEY CANCELED THOSE PLANS.

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE ANY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE THE REGION BUT THE CITY AND THE STATE AND FEDERAL HELP.

>> ARE THERE WAYS TO HELP MIGRANTS?

>> WE HAVE A RESOURCE WEBSITE, NONPROFITS ARE TAKING DONATIONS.

MONETARY DONATIONS AND NONMONETARY DONATIONS.

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