Former President Donald Trump’s legal team may need to come up with a more “creative argument” in defending him as their legal one “ain’t working,” former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Steele said on Saturday.

Steele’s comments come after Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows was handed a legal loss on Friday after trying to move his case to a federal court instead of a state one.

The former White House chief of staff is facing two criminal counts, accused of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, along with Trump and 17 other associates of the former president. All 19 defendants from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ indictment have pleaded not guilty to their various charges. Meadows took the stand in Georgia last week to argue that his case should be tried in federal court, given that his actions tied to the indictment fell under his responsibilities as chief of staff.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones wrote in his 49-page filing order on Friday, however, that Meadows’ actions fell outside the requirements of a White House chief of staff.

  • blazera
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    910 months ago

    Is Steele one of Trumps lawyers? Why are they quoting him?

    • @atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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      1010 months ago

      For the same reason it’s being posted here - he said something people want to hear.

      It’s kinda like this community. If you say “Trump will go to jail!” With no supporting argument you get voted up. If you say something like “Trump may not see jailtime sure to sentencing guidelines and other factors” you get voted down.

      Always give 'em what they want to hear.

      • blazera
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        710 months ago

        This ones particularly misleading. Trump’s lawyers realize. And then quoting someone else entirely.

        • @WarmSoda@lemm.ee
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          710 months ago

          It’s the former RNC leader saying it. The guy that ran the Republican National Convention.

          • @Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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            210 months ago

            That doesn’t make him one of Trump’s lawyers. The headline says Trump’s Lawyers realized something while the content of the article has no information or quotes attributed to those lawyers. Just random drivel from other people with no direct knowledge of the lawyers’ thinking.

            • @WarmSoda@lemm.ee
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              10 months ago

              You seriously think the guy who ran the Republican party has no information about how the former Republican presidents criminal case is doing?

              I do agree there should be words from the lawyers, but I don’t think they can legally make comments like that.

              I could also completely wrong.

      • @ChrisLicht@lemm.ee
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        310 months ago

        There’s literally nothing wrong or even slightly arguable about what you just said, but a third of people taking the time to vote are hitting the down arrow.

        Newsweek is bottom-feeding extremely cheap content, re-processing the opinions of afternoon panel show guests.

        There is nothings newsworthy, useful, or arguably even ethical about what Newsweek is doing. And, anyone who can’t acknowledge that has had their frontal lobe melted by the past 7 years.

    • @ggBarabajagal@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Michael Steele used to be Republican Lt. Gov in Maryland, then was the chair of the GOP campaign in 2008 when John McCain and Sarah Palin were on the ticket.

      After he lost his reelection bid for party chair, he went to work for MSNBC as a commentator, and he’s been on there all the time ever since.

      EDIT to clarify: Steele was not a fan of the proto-MAGA movement represented by Palin on the 2008 ticket and he has been a never-Trumper Republican from the start

      Since the rise of Trump in the party, not sure if Steele still a registered Republican.