James Carville: Trump didn’t testify, ‘chickened out’
- Carville, Geraldo Rivera disagree on the guilty verdicts
- Rivera: Can’t believed the jury believed Michael Cohen
- Carville: Jury listened to everything, deliberated, decided
(NewsNation) — James Carville believes in the American jury system, believes it worked in the Donald Trump hush money case, and believes the jury got it right.
“In spite of Trump’s constant telling people that he was going to take the stand and defend himself, he offered no defense,” Carville said. “He chickened out.”
“I respect jurors. Believe they are diligent American citizens. The idea these jurors were some sort of political pawn is a disservice to the jury system and a disservice to the rule of law,” Carville told NewsNation’s “Cuomo.”
Carville appeared with NewsNation Correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera, who vehemently disagreed.
“My first reaction was a gut punch,” Rivera said. “I couldn’t believe that they believed Michael Cohen on all those counts. I couldn’t believe that this grossly inflated misdemeanor case resulted in 34 felony convictions.”
When it comes to moving forward, Rivera is hoping for calm, and wishes that both the president and the former president lead the way in that effort.
“Hopefully, Trump doesn’t cheerlead anarchy, and Biden does more than say ‘No one is above the law.’”
Carville said the case is a reminder that “the jury system is foundational to American law.”