Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently told HBO host Bill Maher that former President Trump wouldn’t have been prosecuted for his hush money payments if he weren’t running for president.
On HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Cuomo agreed with Maher that the New York District Attorney should not have pursued the case against Trump because it seems politically motivated.
Cuomo said the case against Trump, which led to his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, upset many New Yorkers, even those who don’t like Trump, because it appears to misuse the justice system.
Cuomo highlighted that a significant number of New Yorkers think the justice system is politicized. He noted that 66% of New Yorkers feel this way, despite many not being Trump supporters. This, he believes, is why Trump isn’t facing the usual consequences for his actions, as people see the case as politically driven.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 following a sexual harassment scandal, emphasized that the real threat to democracy is when people believe the justice system is being used for political purposes.
Maher pointed out that Trump’s conviction has been a major fundraising boost for him, calling it the “greatest fundraising bonanza ever.”
Cuomo and Maher both agreed that the case looks like it was brought against Trump because of his status and presidential run.
Cuomo, a former New York attorney general, asserted that if Trump were not who he is and not running for president, the case would never have been brought. He stressed that this perception undermines trust in the justice system.