Republican Ken Buck says Donald Trump's hush money case conviction sets 'dangerous precedent' for future

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Republican Representative Ken Buck expressed concerns about the implications of former President Donald Trump's conviction on charges related to hush money payments.

Buck warned that this legal action sets a "dangerous precedent" that could be used politically in the future.

Ex-Rep Ken Buck warns of political retaliation from Republicans, starting with impeachments

Buck, who retired from Congress, noted that this case could inspire retaliatory actions from Republican officials.

He cited the recent impeachments and ongoing attempts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Joe Biden as examples of escalating political warfare.

“This is a dangerous precedent. If you don’t think Republican DAs and the Republican attorney general is going to turn this around, they will,” Buck said during an appearance on 'Real Time' with Bill Maher.

“...What I saw in Congress was I saw two impeachments that were unwarranted and the Democrats talking about that after the fact," he said as The Hill reported. 

Trump, who is the presumptive GOP nominee for the 2024 election, was convicted on 34 felony charges for falsifying business records.

These charges are linked to a hush money payment made to former adult actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to conceal an alleged affair.

Ex-Rep Ken Buck doubts Donald Trump would face prison time

The conviction has thrown the 2024 presidential election into uncharted territory.

The sentencing date has been set for July 11, by New York judge Juan Merchan, which is just days before the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to secure the party's nomination.

Trump declared after the jury verdict, "The real verdict is going to be November 5, by the people," referring to Election Day.

Buck expressed doubts that Trump would face prison time, citing the typical sentencing outcomes for similar white-collar crimes in Manhattan.

“I don’t think he goes to jail on a white-collar crime like this. I just don’t think that’s the sentence,” Buck said.

“If you look at the sentencing history for crimes like this in Manhattan, I just don’t think he gets jail time," he added.

Internet's mixed response to Ken Bucks 'dangerous precedent' remark on Donald Trump's hush money case

Buck’s comments sparked significant backlash online. One user on X criticized, "please leave Ken Buck off future guest lists-- he was atrocious."

Another user countered Buck’s point, stating, "It’s dangerous to have a criminal running for President. That’s for sure."

Others reflected on historical precedents, with one user writing, "All this would have been avoided if Ford hadn’t pardoned Nixon. America should not grow tolerant of criminality in the Oval Office."

Some commentators supported the legal outcome, saying, "It sets the precedent that if you do a crime, you'll get convicted."

One user argued, "It sets the right precedent," and, "Trump's hush money verdict shows that no one is above the law, Ken."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.