Blinken Says Trump’s Case ‘Did Not Come Up’ in Talks With NATO Allies

Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference after a Foreign Ministers meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters in Brussels, on April 5, 2023. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on April 5 that the topic of former President Donald Trump facing criminal charges did not come up during a meeting with NATO allies.

Blinken was in Brussels to take part in the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, as well as to attend a ceremony marking Finland’s accession to the NATO military alliance. The timing of his overseas trip coincided with Trump’s arraignment in New York on April 4, when the former president was charged with 34 accounts of falsifying business records related to payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, and has stated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has “no case” against him. The charges were handed down by a grand jury impaneled by Bragg.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is accompanied by members of his legal team, Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina, as he appears in court for arraignment after his indictment by a grand jury in Manhattan, New York City on April 4, 2023. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Following the meeting, Blinken was asked by a reporter during a briefing if NATO allies had asked about Trump’s case.

“I don’t do politics. I can tell you, though, that the question you raised about the proceedings in New York actually did not come up in my conversations with NATO colleagues,” Blinken said.

“Nor did I get questions about the durability of our approach,” he added, addressing the reporter’s question on whether European allies had expressed concerns about the long-term stability of the United States in the face of polarization in U.S. domestic politics.

“I think people are very focused on what we’re actually doing,” Blinken said.

Ukraine

The meeting had an “intense focus” on helping Ukraine, including how the United States and its allies should bring the country “up to NATO standards, NATO interoperability,” according to Blinken.

“We’re also looking at what we can do over a longer period of time to build up Ukraine’s capacity to deter aggression, to defend against aggression, and, if necessary again in the future, to defeat aggression,” Blinken said.

Trump has criticized President Joe Biden over his handling of the Ukraine war, arguing that the world is on the brink of World War III.

The former president, who is seeking the GOP nomination in 2024, has said he is “the only candidate” who can prevent another global war.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has spoken out publicly against the charges levied against Trump.

“I don’t agree with what they are doing to former President Trump,” López Obrador said on Wednesday.

“Supposedly legal, judicial issues should not be used for political, electoral purposes,” he added. “Don’t make up crimes to affect adversaries.”

Congress

Trump’s arraignment has drawn mixed reactions from Congress.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), who served as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial, said in a statement that Bragg has “shown great courage in holding Donald Trump accountable.

“To allow a president to break the law with impunity would set a dangerous precedent for American democracy, encouraging future presidents to do the same. May justice be served,” Castro said.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said he had quickly reviewed the indictment, and he had “no reason to second-guess the grand jury’s assessment that there is enough evidence to put Donald Trump on trial,” according to a statement.

Reed added, “The information presented contains troubling actions by Donald Trump that includes falsifying business records in the furtherance of other crimes.”

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Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, called the case a “political witch hunt to unjustly attack” Trump, according to a statement.

“Bragg has brought trumped-up charges that baselessly claim there was intent to commit another crime without naming that crime to turn these charges into felonies,” Lesko wrote.

She added, “This is a sham indictment meant to score political points and weaponize our judicial system to help Democrats win another election.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Trump’s indictment has changed America.

“I have spent my life in the law, I hold our justice system in the highest regard,” Lee wrote. “This isn’t justice, solemnly and blindly carried out.

“This is using the law to selectively punish for political gain. It is a disgrace and will profoundly change our country for the worse.”