Progressive Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said Wednesday that former President Trump’s treatment by authorities during his arraignment is a “slap in the face” to low-income minorities who she said often serve time in jail without a trial.
The left-wing “Squad” member sounded off a day after Trump became the first former president to be criminally charged and arrested over 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump turned himself in to a downtown Manhattan courthouse after a years-long investigation by New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Trump was not subjected to handcuffs or a mug shot, as is standard for criminal defendants – something Pressley was quick to note in her statement. He was also able to quickly return home to his Florida home after the arraignment.
“[D]espite his well-documented criminal history, the fact that Trump was brought into a courtroom, arraigned, and allowed to return home in a matter of hours is a slap in the face to the millions of Black, brown, and low-income people locked in jails across the country before a trial. This is another example that we have one legal system in America for the rich and powerful, and another for everyone else,” Pressley said.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley said Donald Trump’s treatment, which did not involve handcuffs or a mug shot, is a “slap in the face” to marginalized groups. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
The congresswoman has been among the most vocal advocates for sentencing reform, and has introduced several pieces of legislation on issues such as federal clemency reform and reducing the prison population.
Her statement on Trump renewed calls to reform the criminal justice system, arguing that today’s system is allowing the former president to not only skirt norms but even profit off of his criminal charges.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower, Monday, April 3, 2023, in New York, a day before his arraignment. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
“Our system is allowing Trump to monetize his trial and continue to spread lies and incite violence – all while seeking the highest office in America,” Pressley said. “He must be held fully accountable for every crime he committed, and we must continue pushing to transform our legal system into one that truly lives up to its promise of equal justice under the law.”
Pressley called Trump’s arraignment “a step toward much-needed accountability” but added, “it remains deeply problematic that his many additional egregious crimes – including his incitement of a violent insurrection, conspiracy to overturn a democratic election, emboldening of White supremacist violence, and more – have gone unchecked.”
Protesters outside the courthouse where President Trump was arraigned on April 4. (Fox News Digital)
While Republicans have spent much of the last 24 hours lambasting Bragg and his investigation as a political stunt, many of Pressley’s fellow Democrats have been restrained in their reactions.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for all Americans to be “peaceful” regardless of their political affiliation, just minutes after Trump was arraigned.
“I believe that Mr. Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law,” Schumer said Tuesday. “There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right but all protests must be peaceful.”
