After a Georgia grand jury handed down Donald Trump’s fourth criminal indictment, Fox News’ hack contributor and “civil rights lawyer” Leo Terrell did his part to legitimize Donald Trump’s efforts to steal the 2020 election and attack the rule of law.
Liberal commenter turned paid pro-Trumper Terrell was one of a slew of Trump defenders on Fox and elsewhere in right-wing media falsely claiming that Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election were merely free speech.
Earlier today, in an as-yet unpublished post for Crooks and Liars, I quoted a colleague who wrote that Fox legal analyst Jonathan Turley, who also attacked the latest indictment, is “not actually paid for legal analysis. He's paid to fabricate serious-sounding legal rationales for Fox propaganda.”
Terrell, a contributor, not a legal analyst, is paid to fabricate over-the-top opinion to bolster Fox propaganda. Fox probably thinks the fact that Terrell is Black is useful for promoting the network’s anti-Black propaganda, too.
“Journalist” Harris Faulkner hosted Terrell on her “Faulkner Focus” show today to propagandize against discuss the newest set of criminal charges against Trump.
Terrell predictably spouted his evidence-free legal theories without any challenge from Faulkner.
TERRELL: Harris, you know, these four indictments, historic, the two impeachment historic, they're trying to stop Trump from running for president. It's not going to happen. What they're doing is they're trying to wear him down. They're trying to distract him from the campaign of running for the highest office in the land. It's not going to work. But the Democrats are using the legal system. This is why this is so weird. They're using the legal system for political gains. And basically, what they're doing is they're attacking a [sic] opposing candidate through the legal system. That's not how our legal system works. These cases, in my opinion, do not have any merit whatsoever. From all the four cases that have been charged for indictments. These cases are purely political. That's why it's so hard as a lawyer of 30 years to see these cases through the legal lens of how justice is served.
Just a few weeks ago, on July 27, when the federal indictment against Trump for election interference did not happen when expected, Terrell theorized that special counsel Jack Smith had decided against bringing those charges because Hunter Biden’s plea deal had fallen apart the day before. We probably all know how that turned out.
But Faulkner acted as though Terrell is a real legal sage. “Well, look, I mean, you're going to school all of us on this,” she said. “How far a legal reach is this D.A. making and could Trump countersue?”
Terrell advised that “the countersue” would happen after the case has been resolved. He went on to falsely claim that Trump was charged for tweeting and making a phone call. He said District Attorney Fani Willis had “basically thrown the kitchen sink at Trump ... I don't think the case has merit from a standard of the fact that Trump was basically articulating his right as president during the time and his First Amendment right.”
“As an American citizen,” the blatantly biased Faulkner added.
Terrell agreed. “As an American citizen, there is nothing wrong with saying over the phone, ‘Hey, I need to find 11,000 votes.’ That's not criminal! That's just speech.” And so would saying, “Give me all your money or else I’ll kill you.”
Well, we’ll see if a jury agrees, Leo.
Meanwhile, you can watch the propaganda Fox tries to pass off as news analysis below, from the August 15, 2023 The Faulkner Focus, via Media Matters.
The two conversants here dance around the unspeakable taboo that Trump in key respects indeed operates like a mobster, for example with veiled threats to the Georgia Secretary of State.
That said, I agree that there’s nothing wrong with “saying” anything in the USA (although I, personally, would put limits on hate speech and threats). What those folks are accused of is ACTING on those words by committing CRIMES. It’s not a matter of free speech but of criminal behaviour. The conviction that my bank is ripping me off does not give me the right to shoot the manager or commit any other crime.
After several months of avoiding Fox(not)News, I tipped a toe into the pond a few days ago. Their new meme seems to be that “Biden lies, too”. However, the “lies” the foxies are clutching their pearls about are easily filed under “who cares?”