A former police officer says the third indictment of former President Donald Trump left him feeling the same way he felt after the death of Osama bin Laden.
During a segment on Tuesday, Michael Fanone, a former D.C. police officer who battled with rioters on Jan. 6, said he told an acquaintance, “how proud” he felt after hearing Trump was indicted for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“I told him how proud I felt to be an American at that moment. Much in the way that I did when I learned that our military had killed Osama bin Laden. I just felt incredibly proud,” Fanone said.
Watch the video below:
Michael Fanone says Trump's indictment made him feel "the way that I did when I learned that our military had killed Osama bin Laden." Even Laura Coates was taken back. Later adds "what I say or what Republican lawmakers say is just, you know, shit to take up time on cable news" pic.twitter.com/H4b0Ahbpx3
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) August 2, 2023
Host Laura Coates asked, “Those two seem comparable to you? … I’m sorry, I don’t want to cut you off, but why that comparison in particular?”
“Osama bin Laden was a terrorist who committed a horrific act against American people and against our republic. And I believe that Donald Trump is a terrorist who committed horrific acts against the American people,” Fanone answered.
Coates responded, “You can imagine that is a very eyebrow-raising statement, to say the least, the notion of Osama bin Laden in comparison to Donald Trump. It likely speaks to just how deeply you have been concerned and have felt about all of this.”
“But are you concerned that statements like that or the rhetoric surrounding what his role has been is going to cloud people’s view of this indictment as a fair process?” she asked.
Fanone said:
“I think that the only person or people whose view matters with regards to this indictment are the jurors who will eventually… listen to the facts and ultimately make a judgment as to whether or not Donald Trump is guilty of the charges that Jack Smith and the Department of Justice have brought forward.”
He added, “Other than that, what I say or what Republican lawmakers say is just, you know, sh*t to take up time on cable news.”
Trump has blasted the latest indictment and claimed it is designed to interfere with the election.