A conservative columnist for The National Review and commentator for Fox News just gave his analysis of the future for President Donald Trump, but not everyone at Fox News is okay with his assessment.
Former United States Attorney Andrew C. McCarthy gave his review Saturday in an opinion piece for Fox News. He based the opinion on his review of the 40-page sentencing memo for President Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen.
McCarthy stated Trump likely faces an indictment in the case. The charge? Campaign finance violations.
Watch McCarthy explain his full analysis here on a Fox News appearance.
But the President's main cheering section—the hosts at Fox News program Fox and Friends—did not respond well to McCarthy's review of the memo's contents and their potential meaning for Trump. McCarthy also appeared on the weekend edition of the show.
McCarthy stated:
"[In] the Southern District of New York case, which is different from the Mueller case, they are clearly going after the president on campaign finance violations and if you read the sentencing memo the Southern District filed in Cohen’s case, it’s clear that Trump is the target and he’ll be indicted eventually."
Fox and Friends Weekend host Ed Henry interjected:
"That kind of stops me in my tracks."
A sitting President cannot be indicted under current Justice Department regulations. But if Trump were forced out of office, resigns or at the end of his term, he could face charges then.
In his op-ed, McCarthy states:
"The major takeaway from the 40-page sentencing memorandum filed by federal prosecutors Friday for Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney, is this: The president is very likely to be indicted on a charge of violating federal campaign finance laws."
"It has been obvious for some time that President Trump is the principal subject of the investigation still being conducted by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
"Cohen earlier pleaded guilty to multiple counts of business and tax fraud, violating campaign finance law, and making false statements to Congress regarding unsuccessful efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
"Yes, Cohen has stated he did the hands-on work in orchestrating hush-money payments to two women who claim to have had sexual liaisons with Trump many years ago (liaisons Trump denies)."
"But when Cohen pleaded guilty in August, prosecutors induced him to make an extraordinary statement in open court: the payments to the women were made 'in coordination with and at the direction of' the candidate for federal office—Donald Trump."
In the sentencing memo, however, the President is not referred to by name.
Regarding Cohen, it does state that his plea for no jail time was rejected because Cohen "repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends."
"His offenses strike at several pillars of our society and system of government: the payment of taxes; transparent and fair elections; and truthfulness before government and in business."
McCarthy was not alone in his assessment of the implications for the President in the Cohen sentencing memo. Plenty of people expressed the same view for the future of "individual 1" referenced in the memo and believed to be President Trump.
Others found things of note in the Cohen memo.
And some questioned whether the indictment of Trump would have to wait until he is out of office.
However, all of this is speculation until individual 1 is named and charges or allegations are made against them.
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