When it comes to concerns that we are living in a country with two systems of justice, there's plenty of concerning examples to point to. Earlier on Tuesday, former and potentially future President Donald Trump revealed that he had been issued a target letter related to the January 6 investigation.
Many of Trump's fellow Republicans, even and including those running against him in the presidential primary, have come forward to criticize the weaponization of government that has left to such indictments. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), however, was not among them.
When discussing "two systems" of justice with CNN's Manu Raju, Romney sounded more like a Democrat with the response that he gave.
Not only did he speak to how "we do our best to try and fire up our base," and say "the reality is that President Trump did a number of terrible things on January 6," he also spoke to the idea of "confidence in the justice system."
The Department of Justice (DOJ), as Romney's fellow Republicans have pointed out, currently lacks the confidence of the American people. Further, when it comes to the senator's claim that "if we constantly attack and diminish them that weakens our democracy," it's worth calling out the DOJ for the part that they play in such diminishment and weakening. This is not merely with regards to how Trump is treated, but how the investigations into the Biden family, including but not limited to the president and Hunter Biden, are treated.
Romney added that, "anytime a a person is indicted they they accused the Justice Department of being unfair."
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 18, 2023
He said that one of the challenges in the country is the "diminution of institutions in which we rely as a society."
"A democracy works and we have confidence in the justice system and the legal system in our prosecutors and so forth," he said. "If we constantly attack and diminish them that weakens our democracy,” he said
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 18, 2023
Polling shows that the American people believe charged to be politically motivated, especially ahead of the 2024 presidential election, where Trump is currently seen as the frontrunner, as he leads with a spread of +33.5, according to RealClearPolitics.
As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pointed out, this is sadly to be expected from the Biden DOJ, especially when it comes to how Trump is faring in the polls.
"If you noticed recently, President Trump went up in the polls and was actually surpassing President Biden for reelection. So what do they do now? Weaponize government, go after their number one opponent. It's time and time again," McCarthy pointed out. "I think the American public is tired of this, they want to see equal justice, and the idea that they utilize this to go after those who politically disagree with them is wrong."
KEVIN MCCARTHY:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 18, 2023
"President Trump went up in the polls and was actually surpassing President Biden...So what do they do now? Weaponize government." pic.twitter.com/MKpeWfXX8H
Romney's stance on January 6 is clear. He was one of seven Republicans to vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment, with the trial not taking place until he had already left office. Romney also made history when for Trump's first impeachment trial in January of 2020, he became the first senator to vote to convict a president of his own party.
It's looking increasingly likely that Romney will run for reelection next year, though it's not completely certain just yet. Should he indeed run, he's facing concerning polling numbers and at least one primary challenge. Mayor Trent Staggs announced his candidacy in May, and Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, who has formed an exploratory committee, has raised a record $2.2 million in his first three months.