AOC Responds to Trump’s Struggles
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments come as many politicians — both Democrats and Republicans alike — have offered their own opinion on Trump’s legal issues, mere days before the former president is supposed to post an appeal bond.
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“He’s broke, and he’s willing to sell the country for a dollar in order to make whatever he needs for himself,” the New York representative stated.
New AOC Comments
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments on Trump didn’t stop there. On Sunday, she joined CNN’s “State of the Union” show to further blast the former president amid his ongoing struggles.
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“I think that what we are dealing with politically is the much larger and much more grave and serious pressure of having this judgment against Donald Trump, and him being in this degree of debt and the financial pressures that he is under, and what he is subject to do in order to obtain those assets,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
AOC Sees Trump as a Risk
Ocasio-Cortez also took the time to disagree with some analysts who believe that Trump shouldn’t have his assets taken away immediately if he cannot post an upcoming appeal bond.
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“I actually think that there is risk in not seizing these assets and the open window that exists in him trying to secure these funds through other means,” she explained. “We’ve seen a lot of interesting transactions happening with Truth Social and other means. And there’s a very real risk of political corruption.”
Treating Trump as a Regular Citizen
According to Ocasio-Cortez and many other critics of the former president, Trump should be treated just as every other American citizen is. So, if he breaks the law, he must pay the price.
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“I think Attorney General James has been handling this case with tremendous skill. It’s ultimately up to her determination, but it is my belief that all people should be treated equally under the law. And if that seizure of assets would be pursued to any other American, then Donald Trump should be treated the same,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
What Other Democrats Are Saying
Other Democrats in Congress are repeating much of what Ocasio-Cortez is saying, but in their own words. Representative Jahana Hayes was also recently asked by Fox News about Trump’s appeal bond issues.
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While at first Hayes incorrectly said a jury had decided this case, the Connecticut Democrat then said this entire situation was out of Congress’ area of work. “It’s not in the hands of Congress,” Hayes explained. “So I think that people should obey the law.”
Republicans’ Views
Many Republicans, particularly those who support the former president, have come out to blast the New York ruling against Trump.
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“We are seeing a [Department of Justice] that is weaponized, in many ways, against the American people, President Trump being a key target of that,” Republican Representative Michael Cloud stated.
New Issues After Trump Ruling
New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump had to pay more than $354 million in damages for fraud. This fine has increased to $464 million since the initial ruling, thanks to interest.
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In order to receive a stay while he tries to appeal this case — which he has repeatedly said he would do — Trump needs to post security or a bond. However, it appears that he’s struggling to do this.
Trump’s Lawyers Sound the Alarm
Trump’s lawyers have already come out and sounded the alarm, as they’ve explained that Trump cannot find a way to secure a bond for this mass amount of money. According to his lawyers, this is “a practical impossibility.”
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They’ve also explained that no bank or lender will give Trump this money because he doesn’t have a lot of cash on hand at the moment.
Trump Contradicts Lawyers
However, the former president publicly contradicted his own lawyers after they claimed he didn’t have a lot of cash on hand. He denied their assessment that he couldn’t get a loan because of this reason.
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According to Trump, he has almost $500 million in cash. “I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president,” Trump posted on TruthSocial.
What Happens If Trump Doesn’t Pay
If Trump doesn’t pay his appeal bond before the Monday deadline, then a few different things could happen. Most notably, New York Attorney General Letitia James would begin to seize his assets.
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James has seemingly already made moves to allow this to happen, come the deadline on Monday. This could lead to Trump’s properties in New York being seized.
Difficulties Remain
Even if Trump doesn’t pay this bond, and James begins to seize his New York properties, many issues remain. There are many difficulties in seizing properties like this, as real estate attorney Adam Leitman Bailey has explained.
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“Bonds people do not like to use property as collateral because it’s hard to liquefy the asset if there’s a default, and for the attorney general this isn’t so easy either. It’s going to be very difficult to seize his properties. It takes a lot of work,” Bailey stated.