Trump VP hopeful Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) fell apart as he tried to push Trump’s hush money trial talking points on CNN.
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CNN’s Jake Tapper immediately asked Burgum about Trump comparing Biden to the Gestapo on Saturday, “You were there with Donald Trump last night at Mar a Lago where he claimed Biden was like the Gestapo referring to the Nazi secret police. Are you comfortable with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee comparing the Biden administration to the Gestapo?”
Burgum said, “Well, Jake first, great to be with you. And, and I would say yesterday, we had an opportunity to listen to the president talk for 90 minutes without a teleprompter covering a wide range of topics and largely very upbeat because uh if the election was held today, Trump would be winning. And relative to the reference you’re discussing, I mean, this is a short comment deep into the thing uh that wasn’t really central to what he was talking about. But I understand that when and I think Americans understand a majority of Americans feel like the trial that he’s in right now is politically motivated. And if it was anybody else, this trial wouldn’t even be happening. So I understand that he feels like that he’s being unfairly treated. And I think that it’s reasonable that someone who’s being kept off the campaign trail is the presumptive nominee has got some frustration about that.”
Tapper followed up, “So a public trial with witnesses, a jury, a defense counsel that’s like the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police?”
Video:
Doug Burgum tries to explain away Trump comparing Biden to the Gestapo, and Jake Tapper asks, “So a public trial with witnesses, the jury, defense counsel, that’s like the Gestapo?”
*If this is Burgum’s public VP audition, yikes.* pic.twitter.com/VXLyDcrwLX
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 5, 2024
Burgum responded by going from claiming the trial is politically motivated to Trump’s crimes are only misdemeanors, “Well, he certainly didn’t say that, uh, yesterday and he wasn’t referring to this trial when he made that when he made that, made that comment. But I do think that people understand that. I mean, I’m a business guy, this is a business filing case if it was anybody other than a presidential candidate this would be a misdemeanor, how it got turned into 34 felonies when there isn’t even the alleged crime.”
Tapper called out Burgum’s talking point on most Americans not buying that Trump did something wrong, “A plurality of the American people think that President Trump did commit a crime when it comes to this case. And if you add in those who think it was unethical but not illegal, it’s a vast majority. Let me just ask you if Donald Trump becomes a convicted felon because of this case. Will that affect your support for him for president?”
Burgum tried to go back to the original talking point, “Well, if he becomes a convicted felon in this case, that’s a just a travesty of justice because as I just said when you’ve got a, a business filing error that is for something that was again, it’s not illegal for, to pay people for non disclosure agreements that happens all the time.”
Video:
Jake Tapper shoots down Doug Burgum’s main talking point, “According to polling a plurality of the American people think that President Trump did commit a crime when it comes to this case and if you add in those who think it was unethical, but not illegal, it’s a vast majority. ” pic.twitter.com/4AYsv57KCr
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 5, 2024
Wave and say goodbye to any slim hopes that Doug Burgum may have ever had of being Trump’s running mate, because this interview was a disaster.
It is not all Burgum’s fault though.
The governor is being asked to go on television and tell a story that is so preposterous and counter to what a majority of Americans believe that he is being set up for failure.
Trump’s telling of the election interference trial leaves out all of the crimes. The illegal campaign contributions, the falsified business records, and the conspiracy to defraud the voters are all ignored in Trump’s spin.
If Trump is looking for someone who can make his problems go away, Doug Burgum is not it. Trump’s problems are so big anyone who tries to sell this fantasy is going to fail.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
