According to Mediaite, former Bush administration official and conservative legal commentator John Yoo offered his analysis on Fox News, asserting that former President Donald Trump’s political and legal strategies appeared to be in conflict.
In response to Trump’s defiant comments to the press before entering the courtroom for the first day of his fraud trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, Yoo pointed out the divergence between Trump’s political and legal approaches, stating, “There’s a political strategy and a legal strategy, and they are at great odds.”
Yoo elaborated, suggesting that Trump seemed to have already accepted the likelihood of losing the legal battle. He cited the judge’s prior rulings against Trump and argued that Trump had shifted his focus to a political strategy:
“I think that Trump has already decided he’s going to lose on the law. Last week, the judge already made all the key findings against him. So what I think President Trump has done is turn this all into a political strategy.”
Yoo likened Trump’s recent comments to an acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, contending that Trump’s remarks were geared toward the political arena rather than the courtroom. Yoo criticized Trump’s approach, stating that it would likely not work in his favor legally, as it could alienate the judge and negatively impact his chances on appeal. He concluded that Trump’s shift toward a political message might harm his prospects in the ongoing legal proceedings.
Notably, Judge Arthur Engoron had ruled the previous week that Trump had committed fraud by inflating the assets of the Trump Organization, thereby jeopardizing the firm’s viability.
What you just heard — I like what Bill said — this was the opening statement. I would just change it. I would say it was the acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, because everything he said, whether it’s true or not, is all aimed at the political sphere. Everything he said could only make sure that he’s going to lose. Attacking the judge for being rogue, saying the press, the main prosecutor, the attorney general, is racist. Now, there’s no way that this judge is going to find at all in the favor of President Trump. And I think on appeal, he’s going to lose because this is not the kind of case appeal judges are want to go don’t want to get involved in and reverse factual findings by the trial judge. So I think what you’re seeing here is actually throwing in the towel on the law and using it instead as a platform to amplify his political message. But that political message will tube and tank his ability to prevail at all in this legal proceeding.
