Former President Donald Trump's attorney, John Lauro, made the rounds on several news outlets to deny allegations that Trump knowingly spread lies about the 2020 election being stolen, arguing that Trump's attempts to pressure election officials were simply "free speech." Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) called Lauro's argument "deranged," and CNN's Dana Bash laughed incredulously at Lauro's suggestion that there was a "peaceful transfer of power" following the 2020 election. Lauro's media blitz was met with criticism from both sides of the aisle, with some arguing that Trump's actions were a violation of the Constitution and others feeling that Lauro's attempts to downplay the former president's actions were misguided.
Posts tagged as “Meet the Pres”
John Lauro, Donald Trump's criminal defense attorney, argued on NBC's "Meet the Press" that any "technical violation of the Constitution" by Trump does not necessarily mean he broke any criminal laws. Former Attorney General William Barr said he would testify in the Jan. 6 criminal trial against Trump if called, and that he believed the case was legitimate. Lauro also claimed that Trump and Pence had merely disagreed over whether a vice president could constitutionally take actions.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the situation between Russia and the Wagner mercenary group is far from over, after the two sides reached a truce following a revolt from the private army led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Blinken noted that the revolt posed a "direct challenge to Putin's authority" and that the U.S. has seen "more cracks emerge in the Russian facade." He added that the U.S. will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand up for its allies and partners in the region.
Mike Pence expressed hope that Donald Trump would accept the 2020 election results, and Asa Hutchinson said that if Trump is re-elected and convicted, he may try to pardon himself. Pence also said he was doubtful about running for president if Trump had accepted the results.
Tim Parlatore, former attorney of Donald Trump, predicted on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that Trump may not face any charges in the Justice Department's investigation into his handling of classified documents. Parlatore compared the case to the investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, noting that he was against prosecuting her. He added that there are a lot of additional problems or procedures that have to be gone through with that type of case. This assessment contradicts other legal experts who have said Trump is very likely to face criminal charges.
Chuck Todd, host and moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press" for the past nine years, announced on Sunday that he will be leaving the show to prioritize his family. He will remain at NBC in a new role as chief political analyst, and Kristen Welker will be taking over as host. Todd expressed pride in what he and his team had built over the last decade, and the transition to Welker is expected to take place in the coming months.
President Joe Biden has called on House Republicans to compromise and end their standoff over the debt ceiling, warning of catastrophic consequences if it is not raised. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that June 1 is a "hard deadline" for Congress to raise the debt ceiling, and that the US could default on its debt if it is not raised. Biden has also placed renewed emphasis on the possibility of citing the 14th Amendment to sidestep the debt ceiling, as negotiations with Republicans continue.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the U.S. government will be unable to pay its bills as early as June 1 if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden has indicated he is not willing to accept a bipartisan deal on solely Republican terms, and world leaders at the G7 Summit Leaders' Meeting expressed concern about the potential global ramifications. Yellen urged Congress to reach a deal before the hard deadline of early June.