Former Fox News host Bill OReilly warned that President Donald Trump confronts a serious political problem as a growing number of his critics find themselves under the microscope of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
OReilly delivered his assessment on NewsNations On Balance with Leland Vittert while reacting to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powells claim that a criminal perjury probe into him was launched in retaliation for policy disputes over interest rates, according to the Daily Caller. The veteran broadcaster argued that the Powell investigation appears to fit into a broader pattern that many Americans could interpret as totalitarian, even as he emphasized that every allegation must still be judged on its own merits.
American people dont know who Jerome Powell is. They dont know what the Fed does. They dont care about it, OReilly said, underscoring how distant central bank politics are from everyday concerns. Its not a big issue in their mind. What is a big issue is the recurring theme that if the president of the United States doesnt like you, the FBI is going to show up. Thats a recurring theme.
Host Leland Vittert pressed OReilly on whether this pattern might, paradoxically, help Trump politically by rallying his base against perceived enemies. No, of course not. Because Americans dont want a totalitarian, If you dont see it my way, Im going to try to throw you in prison. Thats not what we do here, OReilly replied, insisting that voters still recoil from any whiff of authoritarianism.
OReilly nonetheless insisted that legitimate wrongdoing must not be ignored simply because it involves a political opponent. However, it should be a case-by-case basis. Say Mr. Powell, for some reason vastly misled the country about how much the dopey building cost. He should be held to account.
The DOJs investigation into Powell focuses on the ballooning renovation costs of the Federal Reserves Washington headquarters, which have soared far beyond the earlier $2.5 billion estimate. The probe was initiated after Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna referred Powell to the DOJ in July, accusing him of perjury over his June testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.
Against this backdrop, Trump has privately fumed over what he sees as Attorney General Pam Bondis failure to aggressively carry out his agenda, the Wall Street Journal reported. He has been particularly incensed by the DOJs inability to sustain high-profile cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge tossed the charges over an allegedly improper appointment.
Trump has also discussed the possibility of appointing special counsels to accelerate legal action against political adversaries, reflecting conservative frustration with what many see as a two-tiered justice system. Yet he publicly backed Bondi in comments to the Journal, signaling that for now he is keeping his top law enforcement official in place.
Pam is doing an excellent job. She has been my friend for many years, the president said, offering a pointed vote of confidence even as pressure mounts from the right for tougher action. Tremendous progress is being made against radical left lunatics who are good at only one thing, cheating in elections and the crimes they commit.
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