Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said he’s disappointed but not surprised by a verdict finding former President Donald Trump liable for defamation after he denied accusations raised by author E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a New York City department store dressing room at some point between late 1995 and early 1996.
Norman concluded that it was unlikely Trump, a Republican, could get a fair jury verdict in New York, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
“I had a talk with a Republican member of Congress and I asked him about this, the ruling from the court. He said there’s no way you can go in New York, that Donald Trump would get a fair trial with any jury,” Norman told NTD. “So it didn’t surprise me. I don’t think it surprised Trump. What they put that man through is unconscionable.”
Norman said he does not believe the verdict in the New York lawsuit renders Trump unfit to serve and put the verdict in the Carroll case alongside past politically-tinged allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and Democrat-led impeachment charges against the president.
“Let them render all the verdicts that they want ... you know, they tried to do it on impeachment twice. They tried to do it on the Russian hoax. They’re after President Donald Trump, but it’s not going to work,” Norman said.
The Biden Family Probe
After defending his fellow Republican, Norman proceeded to raise new claims of a potential money laundering scheme between foreign governments and members of Democratic President Joe Biden’s family.On Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives alleged that millions of dollars flowed from private corporations and foreign governments—including China and Romania—to nearly two dozen Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) established by Biden family members. The Republicans, led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), described these findings after reviewing numerous suspicious activity reports (SARs) generated by banking institutions the Biden family members and their business entities used.
“I think Congressman Comer has done a good job of uncovering the information that is pretty dire,” Norman said.
Norman said one SAR is concerning enough, but lawmakers have learned of 152 SARs associated with the Bidens.
The Biden White House has rebuffed the Republican allegations.
Debt Limit Standoff
Norman also addressed claims from the Biden administration that a Republican effort to tie spending reforms to a debt limit increase will lead to Social Security and veterans benefits being slashed.The United States is currently hovering at around $31.4 trillion in debt, the statutory limit without an increase. House Republicans have pushed forward a bill that would allow the United States to take on up to $1.5 trillion in new debt through March 31, 2024—in exchange for spending cuts and reforms that are estimated to reduce spending by about $4.8 trillion over the next decade.
The Biden administration has called for lawmakers to pass a “clean bill” to increase the debt limit without imposing new conditions on government spending. The administration has argued Republicans are holding the economy hostage, putting it at risk of a default on its existing debts if Democrats don’t meet Republican demands on spending reforms.
Biden and his allies have also claimed the Republican plan would cut funding for entitlement programs and veterans benefits, a claim Norman and other Republican lawmakers have denied.
“You’ve seen the ads on TV, you know, how Republicans are cutting Social Security, the veterans benefits—none of that’s been cut,” he said.
Norman predicted the Biden administration will continue to draw the issue out even as time runs out to avoid a default on any U.S. debt payments.
“I think what they'll do is play this out to the very end,” Norman said.
“Where’s their plan? We put ours on paper. Where’s their plan? What’s their solution?” he continued. “I think we know what it is: spend more money, tax American people, and put us further into a recession, into financial insolvency.”
