A highly anticipated criminal trial of former President Donald Trump officially kicked off Monday, with jury selection.
Congressman Weighs In: The criminal trial is expected to last at least six weeks and could see many people weigh in with their thoughts and opinions on former President Donald Trump and the charges he faces.
Among those discussing the case Monday was Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) who was interviewed by former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on "Inside with Jen Psaki."
"This case matters because it's about our democracy," Goldman said. "It's about whether or not our elections are going to be free and fair and decided ultimately by the people based on the rule of law and election law."
The Congressman said the charges allege Trump paid off two women to silence them from presenting information about the former president before the 2016 election.
"This goes to the core heartland of what our elections are about, which is that transparency and following the rule of law is essential to our democracy having free and fair elections."
During the interview, which aired on Comcast Corporation CMCSA owned MSNBC, Goldman said New York district attorney Alvin Bragg will not politicize the case.
"DA Bragg will treat this case with the respect that the justice system deserves. He will only speak through his prosecutors in court and court documents."
Goldman also said that Trump will be treated similar to any other defendant in the court of law.
"I do think that the sanctity of the jury pool is going to be vital in this trial. This is going to be a model for many Americans as to how criminal trials work, how our country's rule of law operates."
Goldman said the trial will show that no person, including the former president, "is above the law."
Related Link: Trump Hush Money Trial Preview: Key Witnesses, 2024 Campaign Impact, Prison Time Trump Could Face If Convicted
Rachel Maddow Weighs In: MSNBC show host Rachel Maddow highlighted the hush money case during her Monday night episode of "The Rachel Maddow Show."
Maddow said former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen pleading guilty left many questions for years as to who would get in trouble for the crimes alleged to have happened.
"Who's the one person getting in trouble for this crime? Just Michael Cohen, really?" Maddow asked.
The talk show host alleged that Trump changed the Justice Department while he was president in an effort to delay this trial from happening.
"We do not talk nearly enough about what Trump succeeded in doing to the U.S. Justice Department when he was president. He ousted U.S. attorneys. He got investigations into himself and his allies kiboshed."
Maddow said Trump also got a case against his National Security Adviser thrown out, even after the person pled guilty.
"That is all worse than anything Richard Nixon ever did, and he was pretty bad on that front. It is arguable the worst thing any modern president has ever done to the U.S. Justice Department, to the rule of law in this country."
Maddow said in the wake of the 2024 presidential election, the "scandal" of Trump impacting the U.S. Justice Department should be kept in the mind of people every single day.
"It is absolutely the blueprint for where they would start to try to complete the unfinished business right off the first term."
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