Former RNC Chair Sarcastically Trashes Donald Trump Over Criminal Trial, Calls It ‘Such A Proud Moment’

Former chair of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele jumped on Twitter to express his feelings about Donald Trump’s criminal trial proceedings. 

Steele, a longtime outspoken critic of the former president, called the trial, which started April 15 in New York, “such a proud moment for the @GOP.”

“Our nominee for president is sitting in a courtroom on trial for 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records,” Steele tweeted. “This case is NOT about the payment but rather about the “catch and kill” scheme—the effort to falsify official records—to conceal his agreement with others in order to cover up the payment from the public and “to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election. So proud.”

The former lieutenant governor of Maryland provided a detailed summary of the accusations against Trump, including a pay-off to porn actor Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal before the 2016 presidential election in an attempt to keep them quiet regarding alleged sexual encounters. He sarcastically touched on Trump’s “Christian values,” stating his wife was at home nursing their newborn son while the alleged acts occurred. 

Steele has never held back on his opposition to the four-time indicted politician. In February 2024, as a guest on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, he trashed fellow Republicans for their support of the candidate, claiming they were putting on a show for nothing.

“Yeah, it’s how you grind yourself down as a national party into the dust of nothing because the reality as it is…there is no real runway here to sustain a long-term growth prospect for the Republican Party with Donald Trump as its head,” Steele said. “The Republican Party has spent the last eight years systematically taking out the leadership that could win. The candidates that could win are losing in primaries.” 

He also criticized Trump for his lack of shame and embarrassment in his efforts to return to the White House amid his legal woes. Describing Trump’s antics as a “crazy-behind circus,” he pressured the media not to become distracted.

“We should be embarrassed as a country right now that we find ourselves with this man as a potential next president,” Steele said.

Fellow Black Republicans are not in agreement. Rep. Byron Donalds (FL) said on Fox News that he thinks the trial will have the same impact on voters as the indictments, and placed blame on President Joe Biden.

“People are going to look at this; they’re going to say why are the Democrats and Joe Biden and these crazy DAs wasting our time with these stupid trials,” he said. “Why are the media networks fawning over this coverage left and right while the country is a mess, inflation is skyrocketed, and the world is on fire? Joe Biden is the one who is the master of disaster.”

Trump’s legal woes are far from over as he faces 88 charges, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to, but prompting four separate trials. While the other three have yet to be scheduled, prosecutors are sparring with his legal team over motions to delay the trials until after Election Day. It is up to the Supreme Court, which has a Republican majority, to decide whether he will be immune from charges as a former president.

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