Potential legal charges against former President Donald Trump appear to be a "wag the dog moment" to draw attention away from President Joe Biden and the issues surrounding him, former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said on Newsmax Monday.
"This case could have been brought in at any time," Whitaker, who served under Trump, said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "I think it's so weak that they really don't want to bring it, [but] this was the time to play the card if they're going to play it at all, because it gets the attention away from Joe Biden and his terrible management, plus his potential political corruption with him and his family."
Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday that he expects to be arrested Tuesday, and he called on supporters to "protest, take our nation back" in response.
The charges, which have not been announced, would be in connection to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, according to reports.
But Whitaker said that Bragg, a "[George] Soros-backed ideological left-winger," is "suffering from Trump derangement syndrome."
"He has targeted the former president with all a lot of resources he has brought in from outside of his office to make this case, but it's legally a very thin case," said Whitaker. "There have been several legal experts, including myself, who have walked through not only the statute of limitations questions but also the question of whether or not this could ever be a felony."
Several entities have passed on prosecuting the case, said Whitaker, adding that he's "not sure it's worth pursuing this case, especially as New York City, as you know, is suffering so much from violent crime."
Whitaker also said the left is using the criminal justice system as a political "instrument," which can't be done.
And, he added that if they believe that prosecuting Trump will cause him to be the nominee out of hopes that he'd lose in 2024, "that will ultimately blow up in their face. I think Donald Trump has a real good chance of winning in ’24."
Meanwhile, Whitaker said that political violence is "never acceptable," and the chance of violence over a Trump arrest should not happen.
He also said that he knows the former president has good attorneys who will "try not to have a circus" with his arrest if he is indeed charged with a crime.
"We obviously have our First Amendment rights," he said. "We should exercise those, but we should never, you know, uh, devolve into violence."
Whitaker also discussed the potential that Congress could come into play concerning the investigation of Trump.
"The Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., together with the Southern District of New York certainly need to explain whether they're involved," said Whitaker, including whether they shared information.
"The answers can be obtained by Congress," said Whitaker. "Remember, we have their separation of powers not only at the federal level but also between the states and the federal government," he said. "Ultimately, the law is so weak that this case is going to be based on — if they bring it — they're going to get kicked out of court."
There are also the statute of limitations questions involved in the Bragg case, as the issues surrounding Stormy Daniels happened seven years ago, said Whitaker.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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