Raskin hails third Trump indictment as 'tremendous vindication'

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said former President Trump’s indictment over his efforts to cling to power after losing the 2020 election represent a “tremendous vindication” of law and democracy and praised Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith for bringing forth the charges he did. 

“I view this as tremendous vindication of the rule of law and American democracy,” Raskin said Tuesday on MSNBC. “And I am especially impressed by Jack Smith and the prosecutors bringing forth the charge about conspiracy to deprive Americans of their rights, specifically the right to vote.”

An indictment was unveiled Tuesday that charged Trump — who is seeking another term in the White House in 2024 — with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

“What really was January 6 about, and everything that led up to it? It was an attempt to usurp from the people our right to choose our own leaders, our own president through the electoral college system such as it is,” Raskin said, commenting on the charge of conspiracy against rights. 

”They’re very grave and serious charges, of course, but extremely well anchored in the facts of the case,” he added. 

Raskin, who served on the House select committee investigating the actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, acknowledged the role his committee likely served in turning up evidence and compelling the Justice Department to investigate the charges. While the Jan. 6 committee recommended overlapping charges with those that Smith brought, Raskin acknowledged Smith might not have wanted to bring the insurrection charge because he did not want to debate the issue of free speech.  

He said the defense from many on the right about free speech is “comical” because “you can say whatever you want, but the minute you actually try to obstruct the meeting of Congress, you’ve crossed over from speech to conduct.”

“It’s like you can say, well, I think the currency is phony and everybody should be allowed to make up their own money — you can say that, but the minute you start printing your own money, now you’ve run afoul of the counterfeit laws, and it’s the exact same thing with the electoral college,” Raskin said.