Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio sparred with NBC host Kristen Welker on Sunday over his attempt to normalize former Justice Department official Matthew Colangelo's joining Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team.
Vance appeared on “Meet the Press” to discuss the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on former President Donald Trump's presidential immunity, after which Welker turned the conversation to the former president's comments about his political opponents. After a clip of Trump at a rally announcing he would appoint a special counsel to investigate President Joe Biden and his family, Welker asked Vance if he supported the move.
The Ohio senator began his rebuttal by accusing Democrats of “losing their minds” over the video. He then cited the House Oversight Committee's investigation of Biden and his family, and the connection between the Biden administration and the prosecution of Trump. But Welker countered that Biden has not appointed a special counsel, and asked the senator again if he supported Trump's actions. (RELATED: CNN expert says Supreme Court immunity decision could impact evidence used in Alvin Bragg case)
“I fully support government investigations of past wrongdoing. Of course, that is necessary in a system of law and order, but I must reject the premise here: Joe Biden appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland. Of course, he reports to Joe Biden and can be fired by Joe Biden,” Vance said.
“The notion that the Biden administration had nothing to do with the appointment of a special counsel, I think, betrays a complete misunderstanding of how the system works. Of course, Kristen, I think the prosecution of Donald Trump in New York is fundamentally called into question by this immunity lawsuit, but I have to point out that one of the central players in it was a Department of Justice official who left the Biden administration to pursue Donald Trump.”
“But the Department of Justice…” Welker tried to interject.
“If that doesn't call into question the legitimacy of the prosecution, then it does matter,” Vance concluded.
“Well, Senator, that's common. People are appointed from Washington. But the Department of Justice has communicated that to Congress, and testified about it this week,” Welker said.
“Kristen, that happens all the time. Are you sure it's 'all the time'? That number…” Vance said, looking shocked.
“My final question: I've reviewed all of Biden's communications since he took office and found no contact between federal prosecutors and anyone involved in the New York case, but that doesn't take away from the essence of the question, does it?,” Welker asked. “I want to follow the logic that you're describing, so I'll ask you, which is that it's not OK for Joe Biden to weaponize the Department of Justice. If it's not OK for Joe Biden to weaponize the Department of Justice, and you're saying that but there's no evidence, why should Donald Trump be allowed to do so?”
“Kristen, you started by saying that it's common for the number three person in the Justice Department to leave the Justice Department to take that job in order to pursue a political opponent. I don't think that's ever happened in the history of American democracy, and I don't think it should be justified,” Vance responded.
“It would be a different story if Donald Trump's attorney general transferred his number two or number three person to a district attorney's office in Ohio or Wisconsin and that person went after Donald Trump's political opponents. All he's suggesting is that credible allegations of wrongdoing should be investigated. That's all Donald Trump is saying. That's not a threat to democracy. It's simply strengthening our system of law and government.”
The former president has spoken with Fox News' Sean Hannity since Trump's 2024 comments, including to discuss reports about his plans for “retaliation,” after Trump called for him to “stop” making the comments in June. state He has “every right” to investigate his political opponents, but it would be “wrong.”
Colangelo served two years in Biden's Justice Department and served as deputy attorney general under the president before joining Bragg's team as lead prosecutor ahead of Trump's trial in Manhattan in December 2022. After joining the team, Colangelo led the investigation into the Trump Foundation, which led to its dissolution, before moving on to Trump's record-falsification case.
According to 2018 Federal Election Commission records, the former senior Justice Department official received thousands of dollars in “political consulting” fees from the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
