Aug 7, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Pelosi calls Trump arraignment "triumph for the truth"

Erin Doherty

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks at a press conference on the reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act, outside the U.S. Capitol Building on July 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. — Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks at a press conference on the reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act on July 20 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is calling the federal charges against former President Trump "exquisite."

Driving the news: "They're beautiful and intricate, and they probably have a better chance of conviction than anything that I would come up with," the former House speaker told New York Magazine in an interview published on Monday.

Pelosi, who created the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, added that she "knew on January 6 that [Trump] had committed a crime."
Pelosi also recalled efforts by Republicans to circumvent her to try to block an investigation. "People said to [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell], 'You think Nancy is going to let this go?' What could he have been thinking?"

The big picture: Trump was indicted last week on four counts over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
It was the third indictment against the former president, who is also the frontrunner in the Republican primary.
He was also indicted in June in the federal criminal investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

The bottom line: Pelosi appeared cautiously optimistic that Trump would be convicted and not win the White House.

"As we always say, it all depends on what happens at the end of the day, but you have to determine what the end of the day is," she said, per New York Magazine.
"Yesterday was the end of a day. The former president of the United States was arraigned, and that was a triumph for the truth."
"If he were to be president," she said, "it would be a criminal enterprise in the White House."

Go deeper: Trump legal woes heat up with Jan. 6 indictment

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Pelosi calls Trump arraignment "triumph for the truth"

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