Local prosecutors take on Trump as federal government hesitates

In recent news, Joy Reid weighed in on the indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing her support for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's decision to bring charges against the former leader. In her segment, Reid pointed out that while Trump is the first American president to be charged with a crime, it was not the Department of Justice that brought the charges against him. Rather, it was local prosecutors in the state of New York who took on the daunting task of holding Trump accountable for his actions.

Reid pointed out that Bragg and Fulton County DA Fani Willis are bearing the burden of holding Trump accountable for his crimes against the country, including his attempts to manipulate the 2020 presidential election. While the DOJ is investigating Trump's mishandling of classified documents and his role in the events surrounding the January 6th insurrection, it was the Southern District of New York that investigated and convicted Trump's former fixer, Michael Cohen, in part for violating campaign contribution laws related to this same case.

Former Manhattan D.A. Vance even stated that it was Trump's Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General William Barr, that asked his office to stand down in its investigation of the hush money payment. Despite this request, the Southern District of New York continued to pursue the case, ultimately leading to Cohen's conviction.

Reid questioned why the Southern District of New York did not continue its investigation into Trump after he left office, arguing that there was no reason for them not to pursue the case. She suggested that their reticence to pursue Trump could only be attributed to a fear of political backlash or an unwillingness to pursue the former president.