Government officials at several levels in the Manhattan and New York City areas signed onto a recently released joint statement condemning Trump — and calling for action — after some of his antagonistic rhetoric targeting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg may soon bring a criminal case against Trump for falsification of business records in connection to hush money illegally provided to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election, in tandem with which Donald’s former ally Michael Cohen was already charged and served a sentence. The falsified records, as alleged, covered reimbursements for Cohen for the tranche of money. In some of his recently made public comments, Trump has referred to Bragg, who is Black, as an “animal” and sought to tie him to the Jewish financier George Soros. Such rhetoric is often obviously associated rather closely with racism and anti-Semitism.
“This disgraceful attack is not a dog-whistle but a bullhorn of incendiary racist and anti-semitic bile, spewed out for the sole purpose of intimidating and sabotaging a lawful, legitimate, fact-based investigation,” the New York City-area officials said of Trump’s comments. “It is clear that Trump would burn down the greatest values of our democracy, and destroy honest, ethical officials performing their constitutional duties, to escape accountability. If we are to protect the rule of law in our country, and if we believe in the principles of our America’s founding that all are created equal, then everyone who believes themselves a person of character and conscience must stand with us now to stare down this unprecedented attack on the foundation of our democracy.”
Those who attached their names included leaders in civil society and activism like Al Sharpton, Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat, city officials like Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and state legislators like New York state Sen. Liz Krueger (D), who currently leads the finance committee in the New York state Senate. Also on the list is Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who leads the judiciary panel in that same state legislative body and has targeted Trump’s corner before, helping push a measure that would impose state restrictions on individuals involved in insurrection running for and holding office.
Joint statement from Manhattan and NYC leaders on Trump's racist and antisemitic attack on DA Alvin Bragg: pic.twitter.com/mZI3YUbtCe
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) March 24, 2023
