Trump unwisely compared to Charles Manson by Fox pundit

Republican presidential candidate receiving worse treatment from US justice system than notorious 1960s cult leader, Marc Thiessen argues

Donald Trump’s extraordinary legal plight inspired Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen to compare him to the notorious cult leader Charles Manson on Monday as the pundit reacted to a series of major developments in two cases concerning the Republican presidential candidate.

Mr Thiessen argued during yesterday’s instalment of The Story with Martha MacCallum that the US justice system is treating Mr Trump worse than it had Manson, who was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder over a series of sensational killings his followers carried out in the late 1960s.

“None of this would be happening if Donald Trump wasn’t running for president,” he claimed.

“They’ve issued 91 indictments against Donald Trump. Charles Manson faced 10… They’ve got multiple cases trying to bankrupt him.”

Mr Trump won an important victory on Monday when a panel of New York appeals court judges granted him a 10-day extension to the deadline for paying his bond in response to the civil fraud trial judgement against him, also ruling that he need only put down $175m of the $464m total, rather than the complete amount.

Nevertheless, the candidate will have to face a jury trial beginning on Monday 15 April in a separate Big Apple case related to his alleged attempts to conceal hush money payments in 2016 and is still battling four criminal indictments in four states and 88 felony charges (three were dropped in Georgia earlier this month) as he seeks a belated second term in the White House.

Mr Trump has continued to deny any wrongdoing, claiming all attempts to bring him to justice are the result of a conspiracy being orchestrated by his political enemies to interfere with his presidential campaign.

“This is all Biden-run things,” he said at an impromptu press conference at his 40 Wall Street property in Manhattan on Monday in response to questions from reporters about his legal affairs, casually blaming President Joe Biden for the myriad cases against him without evidence.

Former president Donald Trump arrives at New York Criminal Court on Monday

(Justin Lane/AP)

Mr Thiessen’s unwise comparison occurred when he was asked by Ms MacCullum about the supposed disappointment from other media outlets surrounding the bond ruling in Mr Trump’s favour, according to Mediaite.

He responded: “Well, I think they ought to be relieved because if this judgement had not been lowered, if Trump couldn’t meet it, if you want to make sure Donald Trump is elected president of the United States, go let Letitia James walk up to Trump Tower and stamp an eviction notice on the side of that building and seize it.

“Even the people who don’t support Donald Trump would see it as an outrage.”

He continued: “None of this would be happening if Donald Trump wasn’t running for president. They’ve issued 91 indictments against Donald Trump. Charles Manson faced 10. OK? They’ve got multiple cases trying to bankrupt him.”

Ms MacCallum responded by observing that the damages OJ Simpson was ordered to pay in his civil case were far less than those Mr Trump is facing – although the crimes of which the two men were accused are in no way comparable.

Notorious cult leader Charles Manson

(Getty)

“I think that the analogy you make is apt when it comes to Charles Manson,” she said.

“$175m is still what he has to come up with in 10 days for a victimless crime. And I think about OJ Simpson in the civil trial, the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Deaths of two people in the civil trial – $30m.”

The Independent has reached out to Fox News for further comment.

Mr Trump offered an analogy of his own Monday: Jesus Christ.

“Received this morning – Beautiful thank you!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform before quoting a supporter who apparently said in a message: “It’s ironic that Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week that they are trying to steal your property from you.”

The post then quoted from Psalm 109 3-8: “They have also fought against me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.”

President Biden’s campaign wasted no time in ridiculing his opponent’s self-aggrandising Messiah complex, deriding Mr Trump in a statement as “feeble, confused and tired”.

“He spent the weekend golfing, the morning comparing himself to Jesus, and the afternoon lying about having money he definitely doesn’t have,” it crowed.