Mary Trump, the estranged niece of former President Donald Trump, had a concise response on Sunday to a post by Jonathan Turley, an attorney and legal analyst, regarding President Joe Biden’s great-great-grandfather’s “criminal history.”
Historian David J. Gerleman made a fascinating discovery in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He unearthed documents revealing that Biden’s great-great-grandfather, Moses J. Robinette, faced charges of attempted murder and other offenses. However, to everyone’s surprise, he was ultimately pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln.
On Saturday, Professor Turley from the George Washington University Law School shared his new opinion piece published by The Hill on X, formerly known as Twitter. In his post, he highlighted the recent discovery of Joe Biden’s great-great-grandfather’s criminal history. Turley suggests that evading accountability might be an inherent family trait passed down through generations.
Mary Trump, an outspoken critic of her uncle, responded to Turley’s post on Sunday, saying, “Why don’t you address my family as well?”
Donald Trump, the leading contender for the Republican Party in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, has faced criminal indictments on four occasions. These charges relate to various allegations, including his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, his involvement in taking classified documents and subsequently obstructing the government’s efforts to recover them, as well as his alleged involvement in concealing hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that the cases against him are politically motivated.
Others on the social media platform criticized Turley’s X post, sparking a backlash.
Former U.S. Attorney under the Barack Obama administration and current MSNBC legal analyst, Joyce Vance, responded to Turley’s statement on Sunday with a hint of disbelief, saying, “This has to be a parody, right?”
“You sound completely unhinged,” remarked Chris Hayes, the host of MSNBC.
Turley clarified in an email to Newsweek that his comment on X should not be interpreted literally. He stated, “It takes a complete lack of humor to view this as a literal suggestion that there is a genetic predisposition towards crime. However, in an era of anger, both humor and reason seem to be absent. The column was making ironic, not genetic, comparisons to the current allegations.”
During his time in prison, Robinette received a two-year sentence of hard labor. However, three Army officers who were familiar with Robinette’s situation reached out to President Lincoln, appealing for his pardon. This plea was supported by Senator Waitman T. Willey of West Virginia, who had recently been elected. Ultimately, Lincoln granted the pardon for Robinette.
Turley responded to the revived tale of Robinette, emphasizing the significance of having influential allies. In fact, the president himself once candidly expressed this sentiment, stating, “No one messes with a Biden.” This mantra has become a cherished family legacy, passed down through generations, from Moses to James to Joseph.
The legal analyst remarked that the Bidens continue to exhibit the same nimble qualities as their great-great-grandfather Moses. In fact, they could even replace the iconic symbol on their family crest with the Latin phrase, “Manus manum lavat,” which translates to “one hand washes the other.”
Newsweek contacted the campaigns of both Trump and Biden via email to seek their comments. Additionally, Mary Trump was contacted through Facebook direct message for her comment.
House Republicans have initiated an impeachment inquiry into Biden’s alleged participation in his son Hunter’s foreign business transactions. Accusations have been made that the president has gained advantages from his son’s dealings, while the White House has consistently refuted any claims of the president’s involvement in such affairs.
Last week, Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant who played a crucial role in the Biden impeachment probe, faced charges for allegedly making false statements and creating fabricated records related to the business dealings of the Biden family in Ukraine.
The House Republicans’ investigation has been disrupted by this development. Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and ranking member on the House Oversight committee leading the impeachment probe, has stated that the inquiry has effectively come to a halt.
Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who leads the House Judiciary committee, has stated that Smirnov’s indictment does not alter the fundamental facts that are propelling Biden’s impeachment inquiry.
Hunter Biden, on the other hand, is currently dealing with three federal gun charges. Despite the accusations, he maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. These charges stem from his alleged false statements about his drug use on a federal form when purchasing a handgun in October 2018. Additionally, he is facing tax charges from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that claim he evaded a minimum of $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 to 2019. Similarly, he has pleaded not guilty to these tax charges.