Speaking before the late afternoon arraignment, Kirk noted that Jack Smith has used the full force of the federal government that Merrick Garland signed off on, and that the indictment is not the consequence of an independent counsel, but a collective effort by the government to bring Trump down ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
"I've read the indictment multiple times. We've been through the details of this. This is a disgrace. It's a total disgrace, and I will say I'm sensing a little bit of a change of even some of the most ardent Trump critics." Kirk went on to mention that he spoke with someone recently who hates Trump, but conceded that the way the former president has been treated is unfair.
Kirk also took aim at those who have taken "cheap shots" at Trump while he faces these prosecutions. He said "I've lost respect" for anyone who has taken cheap shots while Trump is "under active, multi-sham federal indictments. Read the room. Understand what's really at play here. This is not the time to get in cheap shots."
He continued by noting that what is currently happening to Trump is larger than low-level policy disputes. Kirk mentioned that people in the US should be able to believe and defend "wacky or goofy opinion," but added that he doesn't believe Trump subscribed to said opinions. "Donald Trump was onto something huge. His gut instinct is correct. The 2020 election was a sham, from the intel agencies to the fake Hunter Biden laptop letter, to the mass mailing ballots to the Center for Technology and Civic Life."
"What's really going on here with this indictment, and what infuriates me - and I have not heard this point made - it's like okay, they're going after somebody for wrongthink. Meanwhile, not a single member of the administrative state, not a single maggot, not a single vermin, not a single one of these people have been held accountable for their lies the last couple of years. For very intentional misrepresentations for power, for profit, and yet they're going after Donald Trump for asking questions that they don't like. And the New York Times says, 'Well, you know, the First Amendment is likely his defense.' Well, yeah. What they are trying to do is set a precedent that, I'll be honest, is even bigger than Donald Trump. They are going for a civilizational changing indictment."
"Not only do they think it will be able to take out the leader of the opposition party, they want to set a precedent in what will be the highest profile case. More eyeballs on this case than I think any in American history. Maybe the Scopes Monkey Trial would come close. This is gonna be, this will be covered wall to wall, every motion, every filing. And by the way, I know it's not customary. We need to demand that there are cameras in the courtroom. We need to demand it in every one of these trials. There is not an argument not to have cameras in the courtroom, period."
"You're gonna go lock up the opposition leader. I want it on every television. Own it Jack Smith ... Show us what you're doing. I don't want to look at some sort of sketch by some sort of guy. No, no cameras in the courtroom. I want to know what's going on."
"You are constitutionally allowed to challenge your governments. You're allowed to believe wacky and weird stuff. In fact, that is what makes America a great country. We should applaud it. When somebody asks questions of their government, we shouldn't send them to prison. The government is not the arbiter of truth."
