Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says that former President Donald Trump "should serve time" in prison if he is convicted of the charges that he is facing in relation to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Gonzales, who served in the administration of former President George W. Bush, made the remark during an interview he did on MSNBC's Inside with Jen Psaki.
"If in fact he’s convicted of the crimes charged by Jack Smith and the Department of Justice . . . yeah, I think he should serve time, quite frankly," Gonzales said.
Gonzales added, "There are people that on Jan. 6, went to the Capitol — maybe not at the clear direction of [former] President Trump — but certainly, he did nothing to stop what happened that day. They're serving time."
Trump has now been indicted four times.
Trump has been indicted once by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), in relation to alleged "hush money" payments that Trump made to porn star Stormy Daniels; twice by Special Counsel Jack Smith - once for Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and once for Trump alleged wrongdoing in relation to the events of Jan. 6, 2021; and once by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), in relation to Trump and associate's challenge of Georgia's results of the 2020 presidential election.
For whatever reason, Gonzales focused on the Jan. 6 indictment in his interview with Psaki.
Trump has maintained that he has done nothing wrong and that these prosecutors are targeting him in order to derail his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump is not only clearly leading the Republican field but many polls even have him leading President Joe Biden in the general election.
Many legal experts maintain that Trump is right about the fact that he has done nothing illegal.
Renowned criminal defense attorney Allan Dershowitz - a liberal who emphasizes that he does not support Trump or Republican politics - is of this mind.
In the Jan. 6 case, Smith has charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
Trump could face decades in prison if found guilty. And, the chances are that Trump will be found guilty - regardless of whether or not he has done anything illegal.
This is because the case is taking place in Washington, D.C., which is overwhelmingly pro-Democrat and anti-Trump. The judge overseeing the case - Tanya Chutkan - has also been exposed as being overwhelmingly pro-Democrat and anti-Trump.
Legal experts are thus predicting that Trump probably will be convicted but that his conviction will likely be overturned on appeal, again, because he did not break the law.
The bigger question is what this will do to Trump's election chances in 2024. If the likes of Smith stop Trump from getting elected, they will have done their job, regardless of whether or not Trump is convicted and sentenced.
