The so-called party of law and order doesn't seem to care much about either as long as it's in the service of Dear Leader. Here's former Bush spokes-liar turned Fox "news" contributor Ari Fleischer on this Friday's Outnumbered, weighing in on the Trump trial in Manhattan, and urging Trump to go after Judge Merchan's daughter and violate the gag order:
The original terms of the gag order prohibited Trump from discussing witnesses, jurors or prospective jurors, prosecutors, or court staff. Merchan soon expanded that to include his relatives and relatives of the district attorney, specifically in response to social media posts Trump made attacking his daughter. [...]
The panel on Fox News’ Outnumbered discussed the trial Friday, whether or not it was helpful for Trump politically, and if a conviction would affect how Americans vote in November.
The conversation that followed was about as idiotic as you'd expect from the right-wing propaganda channel:
CAMPAGNO: To her point, final quick thoughts... on the rising amount of Americans who say they will vote for him more if there even is a conviction, that that will spur them, to Lisa's point, he is in fact a martyr now, and that will bring them, bring more people to his vote.
FLEISCHER: Yeah, politically I have long argued this is such a high risk case for the prosecution to make, because I think if he's found guilty, so many Americans are going to dismiss it because the island of Manhattan, a Democrat stronghold, and if he's not guilty or it's a hung jury, then I think it propels Donald Trump because he went into the ring with the heavyweight on the heavyweights home turf and beat them.
And one quick final word. President Trump needs to stop calling the judge conflicted. He has explained why he's conflicted. Every day the trial he goes in there, and he says a judge is conflicted, conflicted bigger than I've ever seen it anywhere in my life.
He doesn't explain how or why. He needs to say that the judge's daughter works for a Democratic political consulting firm that does anti-Trump business. He needs to explain. Otherwise it's just an assertion with no proof and the president, if he's going to say it, back it up explain.
MCDOWELL: I think that's a violation of gag order, is not?
MCENANY: No, he can criticize the judge. He's free to do that.
MCDOWELL: Not to judge, but the family. That's an issue.
FLEISCHER: That's a judge is conflicted, and you can still explain how and why, and I think comply with the gag order.
MCDOWELL: I might be wrong but he's... president Trump is trying to be careful in his language, and that's why he is very um...
MCENANY: Measured.
MCDOWELL: Yes word. Thank you for fill that.
MCENANY: He said he was editing in real time today.
BOOTHE: But his surrogates don’t have to be.
FLEISCHER: And the assumption that people know why the judge is conflicted just doesn't hold up unless you follow every detail of the trial. You have to explain these things.
CAMPAGNO: Which we do here for you.
Fox, on the wrong side of every issue, as usual.
Trump already has some really bad lawyers working for him. We'll see if he starts taking legal advice from Fox pundits as well.
