- Jon Stewart said conversations about Donald Trump should not concern whether or not he should be indicted.
- “I think the law should always take into account someone’s popularity,” Stewart said, sarcastically.
- Instead, Stewart said, we should be focusing on finding a system of “consistent accountability.”
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Former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart said that he doesn’t care about conversations surrounding whether or not former President Donald Trump would become a “martyr” should he be indicted.
Stewart, who spoke Saturday to Fareed Zakaria on CNN’s “GPS,” said he was instead focused on finding a system of “consistent accountability.”
Since January, a New York grand jury has been investigating Trump’s connection to a $130,000 hush-money payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. As the investigation comes to a close, Trump could face an indictment in the coming weeks.
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified before the New York grand jury, was sentenced to three years in prison in connection to this payment. Cohen now alleges that Trump ordered him to make the payments.
Zakaria asked Stewart, host of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” on Apple TV+, about whether or not Trump should be indicted, citing concerns that Trump, who received 74.2 million votes in 2020, could become a martyr for those who believe he is being treated unfairly by the justice system.
“I think the law should always take into account someone’s popularity,” Stewart replied, sarcastically. “I mean, what — what’s happened to our country? It’s as though you can’t even commit financial fraud anymore.”
Stewart later continued, “The idea that someone may face accountability, who is that rich and powerful, is outrageous, and this country shouldn’t stand for it.”
—Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2023
After concluding his bit, Stewart explained the “rule of law” does not take into account “if that might make you a martyr to somebody.”
“I’d much rather have the conversation be: what is the law? What exactly are we saying that he did? His lawyer went to jail for the same situation for a couple of years. So what is the crime? Is it a crime?” Stewart said.
Stewart also railed against the lack of “accountability in our financial systems” and brought up congressional stock trades as an example.
Following the news that he could be indicted, Trump took to social media to call for his followers to stand up for him, which experts could give his most extreme followers a reason to resort to violence. Last week, Trump posted on Truth Social to warn about “potential death & destruction” should he be charged.
A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
