Sen. Mitt Romney on Saturday accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of committing “political malpractice” by pursuing criminal charges against ex-President Donald Trump .
“Bragg should have settled the case against Trump, as would have been the normal procedure. But he made a political decision,” the Utah Republican and staunch Trump critic told his biographer, Atlantic writer McKay Coppins.
“Bragg may have won the battle, for now, but he may have lost the political war,” he added. “Democrats think they can put out the Trump fire with oxygen. It’s political malpractice.”
Last month, Romney voiced bewilderment at why President Biden didn’t pardon his predecessor as soon as the federal indictments came down, saying “he should have fought like crazy” to keep them from moving forward.
“Had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him,” Romney told MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle.”
“Because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person [who] pardoned a little guy.”
Romney, 77, who is set to retire at the end of his term next January, backed both impeachments against Trump in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
A Manhattan jury on Thursday convicted Trump of 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records in a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election.
The charges were related to a $130,000 “hush money” payment his former “fixer” lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged one-night stand with Trump.
Trump, 77, has vowed to appeal, saying he’s “honored” by the legal battle and that “we’re fighting for our Constitution.”
Bragg’s office did not immediately return messages.
