In a recent development, Politico faced a barrage of criticism for a headline it posted on social media, which labeled Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as the "reluctant prosecutor" of former President Donald Trump.
Trump was recently convicted on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The headline in question stated, "This reluctant prosecutor just made Donald Trump a felon." The report by Politico further read, "The Harlem Democrat, who at times seemed like a reluctant participant in a trial he initiated, secured a place in history as the first prosecutor to secure the conviction of an American president."
However, conservative observers were quick to point out that Bragg, during his campaign for the position of Manhattan DA, had pledged to prosecute Trump. The original post by Politico also included a scathing community note that provided some context for readers.
In an interview conducted in 2021, Bragg stated that he intended to personally focus on the Trump case as soon as he assumed office. "This is obviously a consequential case, one that merits the attention of the DA personally," Bragg was quoted as saying by CNN.
Scott Jennings, a political commentator for CNN, drew a parallel to The Washington Post's controversial description of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an "austere religious scholar" following his death in 2019. Jennings wrote on X, "I thought nobody would ever top austere religious scholar.'"
Several Democratic leaders in New York told Politico that Bragg's prosecution of Trump would significantly bolster his record. "Alvin Bragg is going to run on a history-making, career-making prosecution," said Maya Wiley, a progressive legal commentator and former mayoral candidate in New York City. "The first ever of a former U.S. president. Period. Thats a hell of a record to run on on its own."
Following the verdict, Bragg reiterated his commitment to his duty, stating, "I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favor. And that's exactly what we did here. And what I feel is gratitude to work alongside phenomenal public servants who do that each and every day in matters that you all write about I did my job. We did our job. Many voices out there. The only voice that matters is the voice of the jury. And the jury has spoken."
Despite Bragg's statements, critics continued to question Politico's characterization of him as "reluctant." Jorge Bonilla of The Media Research Center wrote on X, "He was so reluctant that he ran on prosecuting Trump and then frankensteined a case from state and federal parts."
In a press conference after the verdict, Bragg said, "The 12 everyday jurors vowed to make a decision based on the evidence and the law, and the evidence and the law alone. Their deliberations led them to a unanimous conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Donald J. Trump, is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election." He added that such white-collar crimes are "core to what we do at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office."
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