After the grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s business dealings and finances was reportedly delayed again, Trump took to social media to express his thoughts on the matter.
In a tweet on Friday, January 21st, 2022, the former president wrote: “I have gained such respect for this grand jury. They must be the best grand jury in the history of grand juries. They keep working and working, and they can’t seem to come up with anything. It’s absolutely amazing!”
The tweet comes as a surprise, considering Trump’s long history of negative comments about the legal system and the grand jury process. In the past, he has referred to investigations into his business practices as “witch hunts” and has dismissed charges against him as politically motivated.
But now, it seems that Trump’s opinion has shifted. “I have to say, I’m impressed with the professionalism and dedication of this grand jury,” he said in a follow-up tweet. “They’re taking their time and doing the job right. I’m confident that when they’re done, they’ll find that there was no wrongdoing on my part.”
Though Trump has yet to be officially charged with any crimes, the grand jury’s investigation into his business dealings and personal finances has been ongoing for over a year. The investigation is being conducted by the New York State Attorney General’s Office in conjunction with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation began in 2019 after Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress that Trump had inflated the value of his assets to receive bank loans and deflated their value to reduce his tax liability.
Since then, the grand jury has reportedly been looking into a wide range of Trump’s business practices, including his role in the Trump Organization, his personal taxes, and his alleged involvement in hush money payments to women with whom he had extramarital affairs.
While the grand jury’s decision to delay its report has frustrated many of Trump’s critics, the former president appears to be taking a different perspective. “I’m just glad they’re taking their time,” he said in a recent statement. “It shows that they’re being thorough and careful, and that’s what you want in a grand jury.”
Many legal experts, however, have raised concerns about the length of the grand jury’s investigation and the potential impact it could have on Trump’s business and personal life.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance wrote that the uncertainty surrounding the investigation “has cast a cloud over [Trump’s] future.”
“Though he has publicly remained steadfast in his denial of any wrongdoing, with each passing day, his legal saga looms larger, casting a pall over his potential political or business ventures,” she wrote.
Others have pointed out that the grand jury’s delay could be a sign that prosecutors are still gathering evidence or that they are considering additional charges against Trump.
“The grand jury is an investigatory tool, not a trial,” said legal analyst Dan Abrams in an interview with MSNBC. “The fact that they’re taking their time doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not going to come back with charges.”
Despite these concerns, Trump remains upbeat about the grand jury’s investigation. “I’m confident in the outcome,” he said in a recent interview with Fox News. “I think everyone will see that there was nothing there all long.”
It remains to be seen what the grand jury will ultimately find, or when it will release its report. But one thing is clear: the investigation has put a damper on Trump’s post-presidency plans and has made him a target of legal scrutiny once again.
Time will tell how the grand jury’s report will impact Trump’s personal and professional standing, but for now, he seems content to wait and see what happens next.
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