Comedian Chris Rock weighed in on the possible arrest of former President Donald Trump, joking that if Trump is prosecuted, he will likely become more popular.
Rock, who recently released a new special on Netflix, talked about the possible indictment this week.
Rock performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington Sunday.
During the event, in which former Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Biden White House officials were present, Rock joked, “Are you guys really going to arrest Trump? Do you know this is only going to make him more popular?”
He likened the possible arrest to the increase in rapper Tupac Shakur’s popularity after his death.
🚨BREAKING LEAKED AUDIO: Chris Rock “Are you guys really going to arrest Trump? Do you know this is only going to make him more popular? It’s like arresting Tupac, he’s just going to sell more records.” pic.twitter.com/g1tdpv8Emm
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 21, 2023
The popular comedian touched upon what many conservatives see as a central part of recent politics. They argue that the possible arrest of the former president is predicated less on law and more on a two-tiered justice system in the country.
Many conservative critics see the impending arrest of a former president as both an important issue by itself and a wider discussion about the possible politicization of prosecution.
Since Trump’s announcement that he may be arrested Tuesday, some conservatives contrasted the treatment of the former president with that of the prosecution of other crimes in New York City. In particular, they point to reduced penalties for violent crime and theft in the city under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The former president accused Bragg of “Prosecutorial Misconduct” on Truth Social Sunday.
Furthermore, the Republican heads of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees demanded Bragg turn over documentation regarding the case and testify on Capitol Hill.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), a leading Republican in the House, co-wrote a letter with the chair of the House Oversight Committee James Comer (R-KY) addressed to the district attorney. They wrote that a potential indictment of Trump would be “an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority.”
Bragg has also received considerable criticism within New York City, as well. The district attorney received criticism from the widow of a slain NYPD officer.
