A prominent conservative columnist stunned the hosts of Fox & Friends on Sunday by arguing that Donald Trump would likely be indicted for campaign finance violations.

In a Fox News op-ed column, National Review writer Andrew McCarthy suggested that Michael Cohen's admission that he made payments to two former Trump mistresses was a stepping stone to the indictment of the president.

"The Southern District of New York case," McCarthy explained, "which is different from the Mueller case on Cohen -- they are clearly going after the president on campaign finance violations."

"It's clear Trump is the target and he'll be indicted eventually," he added.

"That kind of stops me in my tracks," Fox & Friends host Ed Henry told McCarthy. "We've heard all along that Justice Department guidance is that the president himself can't be indicted -- or herself down the road -- cannot be indicted."

McCarthy speculated that the Justice Department would wait until Trump leaves office to indict him.

"The president is not supposed to get an advantage from being president," the conservative writer said. "All we say is he can't be put through the criminal process while he's president."

"They can indict him and he can be tried down the road," McCarthy revealed. "Are they setting the stage to file charges against him? I can't come to any other conclusion."