In a no-holds-barred commentary on the ongoing legal battle between New York state and former President Donald Trump, Kevin O’Leary, famous investor and “Shark Tank” star, slammed the proceedings for damaging America’s global reputation during an interview with Fox News.
O’Leary didn’t hold back as he expressed his strong disapproval of the case, which he believes has dragged the country’s image through the mud.
“We’re tainting our brand, a 200-year brand,” O’Leary stressed during a Wednesday appearance on “Varney & Co.”
He argued that the United States has “sunk right into the toilet” as the jury deliberates in this high-profile case.
His views reflect those of many Americans who feel that the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are baseless and have only hurt the nation’s standing.
TRUMP: "These charges are rigged, the whole thing is rigged. The whole country is a mess between the border and fake elections and you have a trial like this where the judge is so conflicted he can't breathe—This is all because of Joe Biden.. but we're going to win this… pic.twitter.com/Ri0YgKQbvr
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 29, 2024
O’Leary further explained, “I think there’s many people that feel the way I do that don’t think this case should have been brought on its merits at all, because it wasn’t worthy of tainting the American brand, because that’s what it did, and that’s what it’s doing.”
He maintained that the legal battle is not only bad for the country’s reputation but is also “hurting everybody that is involved in the economy in America.”
The charges against Trump include 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Prosecutors say he concealed a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
They claim the payment was made to silence Daniels about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006, which the former president has strongly denied.
O’Leary compared the current legal proceedings and the political chaos often seen in countries like Venezuela.
Judge in Trump case in NYC just told jury they don’t have to unanimously agree on which crime was committed as long as they all at least pick one
And that among the crimes the can pick from are ones Trump WASN’T EVEN CHARGED WITH!!!
This is exactly the kind of sham trial used…
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 29, 2024
“We took someone out of the executive office. We had a porn star talking about sex with condoms in court to an executive of an ex-president of the United States. That’s what happens in Venezuela,” he said, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Looking beyond the immediate political fallout, O’Leary called for higher standards of conduct for former White House executives, regardless of their political party.
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“I’m flying 90,000 feet above that, saying four years from now, both of these guys are gone. And what did we do to our brand? That’s what I’m thinking about,” he said, emphasizing the long-term impact of this legal battle on America’s global standing.
