During Wednesday’s edition of “The View,” co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sunny Hostin clashed over the seriousness of charges unveiled against Donald Trump, with Griffin claiming that the former president is a “first-time offender” and would only get probation if convicted, and Hostin elaborating on why Trump will go to jail if found guilty of felony charges.
Trump was indicted Tuesday on 34 counts of business fraud in connection to hush money payoffs to two alleged mistresses before the 2016 election, and Griffin – a former Trump White House staffer – listed reasons she thinks the case isn’t that serious.
“Two things can be true at once,” Griffin said. “Yesterday was a bad day for Donald Trump, the first indicted former president. I want to see this guy held accountable [but] this case is not taking Donald Trump down.”
“I say that for a couple of reasons,” she added before declaring that Trump would likely escape serious consequences even if convicted.
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“There was no conspiracy charge, which a lot of folks were looking to see,” Griffin said, and Hostin said that was a harder charge to prove. “The felony charges, the maximum sentence is four years but this is a first-time offender, it’s a non-violent crime, it’s a class C felony. Every legal expert I’ve talked to has said a fine and probation if he’s even convicted.
Hostin interjected and provided her credentials as a former prosecutor.
“I’ll tell you why you’re wrong, is this legal expert,” Hostin said, pointing to herself. “That is wrong, and I’ll tell you why you’re wrong. Prosecutors are not only in the business of prosecuting crimes, we’re in the business of sending out a message.”
“If you let the president of the United States be found guilty of one to 34 counts, even if they’re misdemeanors, and he gets to go home scot-free, you’re sending a message to the country,” she concluded.
Watch the exchange below.
