NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd declared Tuesday that the conviction of Hunter Biden is a "big blow" to former President Trump.
During a segment of "MSNBC Reports" following Biden’s conviction on federal charges related to illegally possessing a firearm, Todd said that the real political fallout from the verdict hurts Trump because it proves there isn't a double standard at the Department of Justice.
"I think it really damages the Trump campaign’s ability to just wave away their conviction," the NBC analyst told network anchor Ana Cabrera.
ONE TRIAL DOWN, ONE TO GO: HUNTER BIDEN FACES TRIAL ON FEDERAL TAX CHARGES NEXT
The former president has long accused the Biden DOJ of targeting him and instigating the investigations and criminal trials that have plagued him ahead of the 2024 election. Most recently, Trump has said that the DOJ colluded with New York prosecutors to convict him on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Todd argued Tuesday that the DOJ getting the president’s own son on federal charges destroys Trump’s argument that the department only goes after Biden’s enemies.
"But, politically, this is a big blow to Trump, and that’s – I think – if you’re looking for just political fallout, he’s trying so hard to create this weaponization – and this has been a Republican talking point for so long," he said.
Todd continued, declaring that there’s "never been any evidence to support what they’ve said." He added that not only is there a lack of evidence for Trump’s accusation, the Biden verdict is evidence to "refute all of these claims – the Jim Jordans and the James Comers of the world."
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He accused the GOP congressmen of "trying to manufacture something that really didn’t exist in some form of fealty to Trump or political decision to Trump."
The host went on: "Look, whether Trump still uses his grievance, you know, his various grievances, to go after the justice system, considering that he still has his own battles with them, doesn’t matter. But I don’t think this is going to be – if they’re hoping this persuades people in the middle, I don’t think Trump’s argument about the justice system is very persuasive now in the wake of this."
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the Hunter Biden verdict in a statement, saying, "This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden's reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit."
