WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) took to the House Floor Monday to criticize the criminal prosecution of former President Trump in Manhattan. Rep. Rose also laid out the reasons he supports presidential immunity, an issue he’s endorsed through an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
Mister Speaker, I rise today to address the terrible precedent set in our country four days ago. Using the justice system to engage in a politically driven prosecution and now conviction of a major political party nominee running for president – especially on the charges brought against Donald Trump – should gravely concern every Member in this body as well as every American across our country, whether they be Republican or Democrat, for Donald Trump or against him.
Regardless of one’s opinion of the current Republican nominee, we’d be well served to remember the long and cherished tradition we have in this country of settling our political differences at the ballot box. For nearly two and a half centuries, our nation’s elected leaders have properly resisted the temptation to oppose their political rivals through the weaponization of our justice system. “Equal Justice for All” and an overall trust in our justice system is fundamental to who we are as Americans, and those who would destroy that hard earned trust just to score cheap political points should be held accountable.
As an attorney, I can tell you that May 30th will be among the more infamous dates in American history. The facts behind these flimsy charges against President Trump were already examined by prosecutors nearly a decade ago, resulting in the conclusion that the facts did not support criminal charges. Last Friday’s verdict was clearly the result of a “prosecution in search of a crime.”
The primary accusation in the entire case is that of falsifying business records, a misdemeanor crime in New York. Yet this district attorney questionably elevated them to felonies, dubiously creating what was essentially a first-of-its-kind prosecution.
For those not convinced Donald Trump’s prosecution was driven by nefarious politics rather than the law, consider that the DA who brought these charges actually campaigned on quote “getting” President Trump. Also consider that the entire basis for this verdict is the testimony of a convicted felon found guilty of perjury who also admittedly stole money from the Trump organization. The same witness has since celebrated the verdict, even saying the verdict is quote “exactly what America needs right now” and “I would like him to feel what I felt.” We’re hearing the quiet part out loud, Mister Speaker. It’s often said by my friends on the other side of the aisle that no one is above the law. I agree. But no one is below the law either.
I hear from countless Tennesseans who are outraged, not only by the lack of merit in this case, but also the timing. We are six months away from an election. They sense we have devolved into a two-tier system of justice, and they want the madness to end.
We must restore normal discourse in our country. Impeachment is a word used far too often in this body. I feared this would happen when the Democratic majority decided to take the extreme step of impeaching a former president – twice. Now, a remedy provided by our founders and meant to be rare is almost commonplace. We cannot allow the Department of Justice to be trivialized, too.
Our founders envisioned the possibility that a president could be harassed by political opponents, which is why I continue to argue in favor of immunity for this type of prosecution. Impeachment is the tool the Congress has to hold our chief executives accountable. Elections are the tool for them to be accountable to We the People.
I look forward to President Trump’s successful appeal. In the meantime, House Republicans will continue doing all we can to shine a light on the heavy-handed tactics of the Biden Department of Justice. We will continue to conduct our constitutionally required oversight duties. But ultimately, I believe the first step in restoring public trust will come when Donald Trump is re-elected this fall.
You can watch the speech here.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-rose-trump-manhattan-case-prosecution-search-crime