The prosecutor who investigated an allegation about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to hush the victim of his sexual assaults will be summoned as a witness to a parliament hearing. While the approval rating for the first-ever former or current U.S. president who was prosecuted for a criminal charge is rebounding, the Republican Party’s criticism against his investigation is expected to get stronger.
The American Broadcasting Company reported on Saturday (local time) that Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed to summon former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz who investigated the former president.
The former prosecutor led the investigation on former President Trump in February 2021 but resigned in February 2022 when his indictment was delayed. He published a book on charges against the former president collected during the investigative process.
The Republican Party is expected to criticize Pomerantz’s political bias. While investigations of former President Trump are continuing, not only for his hush money for sexual assaults but also for leaking confidential documents and inciting a civil war during the January 6 United States Capitol attack, the party is planning to counterattack the ‘judiciary risks’ of the former president, starting with the upcoming hearing.
Meanwhile, according to the poll results in the Wall Street Journal announced on Friday, 51 percent of Republican supporters support former President Trump as the party’s next presidential candidate, followed by 38 percent for Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis. In the simulation conducted in December between the two potential candidates, right after a mid-term election, the Florida governor had an approval rating of 52 percent while the former president had 38 percent. The former president’s supporters seem to have stronger unity after he was indicted for hush money payments.
weappon@donga.com