Attorney General Calls for Trump's Trial to Be Moved to His State to Ensure Fair Trial

By Samantha Chang August 8, 2023 at 6:49am

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey called for a change of venue in the Department of Justice’s sham prosecution of former President Donald Trump, saying there’s no way he can get a fair trial in the Democrat-infested Washington swamp.

“One of the fundamentals of due process in our criminal justice system is to be able to have a fair trial in a fair tribunal,” Morrisey told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. “And does anyone watching, does anyone in America believe that President Trump is going to get a fair shake out of Washington, D.C.?”

For reference, more than 92 percent of D.C. residents voted Democrat in the last presidential election.

“I think most people would say — whether you’re pro-Trump or anti-Trump — you’re not going to get that fair shake,” Morrisey said. “So what I’m suggesting is that this should be moved to West Virginia. We have a number of federal district courthouses that could properly house this. I think that he could get a fair hearing.”

Trump has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction for challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Morrisey made a good point about the trial venue. If special prosecutor Jack Smith truly believes the DOJ’s case is strong, there’s no reason he should oppose such a move.

“I think that there’s no reason why the prosecutor shouldn’t support this move because, Maria, the biggest thing that a prosecutor should be focusing on isn’t just trying to get guilt from the person he’s targeting; it should be to administer justice. That’s the duty of a prosecutor,” the Republican attorney general said.

“I think that if you move it to West Virginia, you would actually take away a lot of the political concerns that are out there. So I think it’s a strong idea. I think the prosecutors should think very carefully about this and get behind it.”

West Virginia Attorney General @MorriseyWV calls for the J6 Case against President Trump to be moved from Washington, DC to West Virginia:

“Does anyone in America believe that President Trump is going to get a fair shake out of Washington, DC?” pic.twitter.com/sfhuUZNLXz

— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) August 6, 2023

Morrisey was doubling down on a tweet he posted last week slamming the case against Trump as politicized.

“Donald Trump is not going to get a fair shake in DC, the home of the Swamp,” he said on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X.

“If prosecutors insist on proceeding with this politicized case, they should move the venue to West Virginia,” the attorney general said. “West Virginians believe in upholding the rule of law and don’t support a double-standard of justice.”

Donald Trump is not going to get a fair shake in DC, the home of the Swamp. If prosecutors insist on proceeding with this politicized case, they should move the venue to West Virginia. West Virginians believe in upholding the rule of law and don’t support a double-standard of…

— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) August 3, 2023

Trump made the same assertions Sunday on his Truth Social platform, saying he cannot get a fair trial in D.C. and he’s seeking a change of venue as well as the recusal of the presiding judge, Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.

Numerous Republicans agree that the D.C. district court is an unfair tribunal for the 45th president.

Do you think Trump’s case should be moved to West Virginia?

“I don’t think any Republican, much less any ‘America First’-type Republican, could ever expect to have a fair trial in a D.C. setting with a D.C. judge and D.C. jury,” Ned Ryun, the CEO of American Majority, told The Hill last week.

He added: “Of course, it’s a rigged game. I think any fair-minded person would step back and say, ‘If you really want this to be a legitimate pursuit of justice, you would not be having it in D.C.’ I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it will be legitimate.”

Even Trump’s top challenger in the GOP primary race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggested a venue change is needed to facilitate a fair trial.

“Washington, DC is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality,” DeSantis tweeted last week.

As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans.

While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right…

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 1, 2023

While DeSantis did not comment on the indictments against Trump, he vowed to end the partisan political weaponization of the federal government if elected.

“As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans,” he tweeted.

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