Trump attorney Joe Tacopina on Friday denounced the indictment of former President Trump as a “double standard,” suggesting that the filing of criminal charges against the former president “endangers all of us.”
“I don’t understand how double standards are so accepted, as long as you have the right target,” Tacopina told John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WABC’s “Cats & Cosby” show. “And what people don’t seem to understand, it really endangers all of us, not just Donald Trump.”
“Today, it’s Donald Trump. Tomorrow, it’s a Democrat. The day after that it’s our cousin, our nephew, our niece, our brother,” he added. “We’re now using the justice system as a political weapon. And that is not what we ever did in this country.”
Trump was indicted on criminal charges on Thursday for his role in a 2016 hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. His former personal attorney Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to buy her silence about an alleged affair with the former president.
Tacopina’s comments echo those of his client, who has accused Democrats and law enforcement officials of “weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent.”
“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” Trump said in a statement, after reports of the indictment first emerged on Thursday.
However, several Democrats suggested the indictment represents the equal application of the law, rather than its weaponization.
“A nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office. Especially when they do,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tweeted on Thursday. “To do otherwise is not democracy.”
Despite the indictment, Trump has made it clear that he plans to continue running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Ahead of the indictment, Tacopina said that it could lead to an “all-out war,” but wouldn’t deter the former president.
“They can do what they want,” Tacopina said on Monday. “At that point, this is an all-out war.”
“He’ll be there loud and proud, and there’s nobody that’s gonna make him cower,” he added at the time.
Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday and turn himself in Tuesday morning ahead of the arraignment — which a court spokesperson indicated would be at 2:15 p.m. eastern time.