June 14, 2019

Fox News' senior legal analyst Andrew Napolitano's first reaction to Trump telling George Stephanopoulos that he would gladly use dirt collected by a foreign power against a political rival "was not a happy one."

In an interview with Shepard Smith, the two Fox news personalities discussed in depth why freedom of speech or any other ridiculous Trump excuse about talking to foreign leaders does not pertain to FEC violations for receiving something of worth from a foreign national or country to aid in an election campaign.

Napolitano explained, "With respect to opposition research, the Federal Election Commission decided in other cases that that is a thing of value … that comes from a statute that prohibits receipt money or a thing of value from a foreign national. Whether the person is working for a foreign government or not.”

“So what the president said he would do to George Stephanopoulos would be felonious,” Smith agreed.

“Correct,” Napolitano said. “He would be committing a felony.”

Shep Smith threw cold water on Trump's lame-brained justifications for taking and using dirt from foreign powers. “As if he doesn’t know the difference between lunch with the Queen of England and stuff coming from a Russian translator," he scoffed.

He continued, “This is not an area of the freedom of speech. This is not the president saying, ‘well, I speak to foreign leaders all the time."

Smith asked, "When you heard this, what was your first reaction?”

“The president of the United States of America is prepared to commit a felony to get re-elected. That was my reaction and it was not a happy one.”

Napolitano said, “I wish he didn’t say it.”

It's futile for Trump and his propaganda porcupines to try to spin his words to ABC News into something that is not criminal.

Trump admitted he would commit a crime in a heartbeat to get dirt on his political rivals.

(h/t mediaite)

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