Santos appears outside Manhattan court ahead of Trump arraignment

Mychael Schnell
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Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) made a brief appearance outside Manhattan criminal court Tuesday morning ahead of former President Trump’s arraignment.

Santos — who is facing his own investigations amid questions about his background and finances — was spotted walking outside Manhattan criminal court hours before Trump’s scheduled arraignment. He was peppered with questions from reporters about his presence at the courthouse and Trump’s legal fate.

“Because I can be here,” he told reporters when asked why he was at the courthouse.

Asked if any president is above the law, Santos said “no” before turning to an attack on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) — who empaneled the grand jury that voted to indict Trump. He also brought up the laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son.

More coverage of the Trump indictment from The Hill:

“Is this DA gonna start criminalizing criminals?” Santos said, a possible reference to Bragg’s reputation as a soft-on-crime prosecutor. “Where’s Hunter Biden’s indictment? Two years of a laptop full, a treasure trove of crime.”

And pressed on if Trump should be held accountable should it be determined that he committed a crime, Santos responded “this is not that crime, though. It’s been, this is old news.”

A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict Trump for his alleged role in organizing a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. Some Republicans have criticized Bragg for empaneling a grand jury to look into a situation that took place back in 2016 and has been public knowledge since 2018.

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon. The former president traveled from Florida to New York on Monday.

Santos has criticized the “weaponized justice system” since news of Trump’s indictment last week, warning, “If they can do it to Trump imagine what they can do to us?” On Friday, he tweeted, “Weaponizing the justice system to target a political rival is a clear danger to our country and democracy.”

The congressman has also expressed support for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, writing on Twitter in February, “Donald J. Trump will be the 47th POTUS.”

Santos himself is said to be the subject of a number of probes by different entities because of questions about his background and finances. The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Santos last month. The congressman faces calls to resign, but he remains adamant that he will not step down.

Santos told The Hill in Manhattan that he would not be returning to the criminal court later in the day “because you guys make it unbearable to be here.”

Zach Schonfeld contributed. 

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