Brad Lander Acquitted of Federal Obstruction Charge
Was this arrest a cynical campaign stunt or proof of Trump's weaponization of justice?
Above: Brad Lander outside federal court in New York on June 10. Image credit: Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Brad Lander, like many other Democratic hopefuls, has treated ICE protests as campaign stops, hoping to get to put in handcuffs for a good story. This practice vilifies law enforcement and breeds partisan hostility. This acquittal deflates hysterical narratives pushed by the left, even as Lander walks away with progressive bona fides ahead of a primary.
Democratic narrative
This case had to go to trial to show how the Trump administration has degraded the administration of justice in this country. A minor violation was pursued relentlessly by prosecutors, who litigated over an elevator. The judge made the right decision, but the weaponization of the legal system to silence dissent is a real and growing problem.