‘It’s a Bunch Of Bull****!’ CNN Gets Earful From Trump Supporters ‘Unfazed’ By Indictment at GA Convention

CNN correspondent Isabel Rosales took a camera to the Georgia Republican party’s convention in Columbus and spoke to supporters of Donald Trump, who made his first post-indictment public appearance there Saturday, finding the fans “unfazed” by the charges against him.

CNN anchor Jim Acosta introduced the segment on Sunday’s CNN Newsroom by noting that Trump called the indictment a “joke” and special counsel Jack Smith “deranged” during his speech on Saturday evening.

“Trump fans outside Saturday’s convention seemed equally unshaken by the indictment,” said Acosta as he brough Rosales in to cover the story.

“Well, it may come as no surprise that the Trump supporters that I spoke with really don’t think too highly of special counsel Jack Smith or this investigation,” Rosales said. “And if anything, they’re actually doubling down on their support for former President Donald Trump. They see this indictment as further proof of every level of government and the press, is the way that they see it, are going unfairly after Trump.”

The report began with some footage of Trump’s speech, then a clip of special counsel Smith saying we “have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone,” and she outlined that most of the 37 counts involve violations of the Espionage Act before going to the street interviews outside the convention. Rosales described the supporters as “unfazed” by the indictment, which was somewhat of an understatement.

“Does that matter to me? Not at all,” said one woman.

I think it’s a bunch of bull***,” said a man in a Trump hat who had a Confederate flag patch on his biker’s vest. “Trump ain’t done nothing wrong. Only thing Trump done is saved this country.”

The supporters said they have not and will not read the indictment, suggested that audio of a Trump meeting could have been “altered,” and, Rosales said, “could not point to any piece of evidence that would cause their support to waiver.”

GOP supporters like Sen. Lindsey Graham were also aggressively defending Trump on Sunday. But former Trump attorney general Bill Barr called the indictment “very, very damning,” and told Fox News Sunday that if “even half” of the charges are true, Trump is “toast.”

In response, Trump referred to Barr as a “gutless pig” and “unpatriotic.”

ROSALES: Hey, Jim. Well, it may come as no surprise that the Trump supporters that I spoke with really don’t think too highly of special counsel Jack Smith or this investigation. And if anything, they’re actually doubling down on their support for former President Donald Trump. They see this indictment as further proof of every level of government and the press, is the way that they see it, are going unfairly after Trump.

ROSALES: Former President Donald Trump unapologetic, and on the attack.

TRUMP: Jack Smith. Sounds so innocent. He’s deranged. This is a political hit job.

ROSALES: Georgia’s GOP convention marking Trump’s first public appearance after becoming the first former president to face federal charges.

SMITH: We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.

ROSALES: Special Counsel Jack Smith announcing 37 criminal counts against Trump, the majority for violations of the Espionage Act.

TRUMP FAN 1: Does that matter to me? Not at all.

ROSALES: Outside the state convention, his supporters are unfazed.

TRUMP FAN 2: I think it’s a bunch of bull—. Trump ain’t done nothing wrong. Only thing Trump done is saved this country.

TRUMP FAN 3: They’re not going to let it stop. They can’t stand the fact that he’s running for president. And I am a Donald Trump fan.

TRUMP FAN 4: It’s probably altered, but it’s just typical, typical liberal propaganda.

ROSALES: None of the Republican voters CNN spoke with had read the indictment.

TRUMP FAN 2: No, I wouldn’t waste my time on a phony indictment.

TRUMP FAN 2: I don’t care about the indictment, Hey you could indict a baloney sandwich.

ROSALES: These loyalists share a deep sense of distrust against perceived opponents of Trump, including the Department of Justice, the FBI and the press. Supporters routinely brought up President Joe Biden, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. All had sensitive materials in their possession while out of public office. One big difference Trump and his aide Walt Nauta face nearly a half dozen charges related to obstruction and concealment of documents, including for allegedly suggesting to his lawyers to not cooperate with a grand jury subpoena.

TRUMP: In this whole fake indictment, they don’t even once mention the Presidential Records Act.

ROSALES: The indictment outlines two different occasions Trump allegedly showed classified documents to unauthorized people. And in 2021, Trump admitted on tape to having secret documents that he hadn’t declassified, according to the indictment. ‘As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,’ Trump said, according to the transcript of the audio obtained by CNN.

ROSALES: There’s an audio recording of him doing so.

TRUMP FAN 3: We know that that can be changed. We know that that can be altered.

ROSALES: Within the 49-page indictment. Pictures showing boxes of classified documents stacked high in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, ballroom, office space and elsewhere.

TRUMP FAN 4: What he did is incorrect, absolutely incorrect. But the system allowed it to happen. The system is broken and needs to be fixed.

ROSALES: The convention also drew a handful of anti-Trump protesters co-opting one of his most popular catchphrases in this quick moment of tension.

TRUMP FAN 2: In the service.

TRUMP PROTESTER: Lock him up!

TRUMP FAN 2: Lock you up.

TRUMP PROTESTER: I ain’t done nothing wrong!

TRUMP FAN 2: Yeah you have, you support Hillary Clinton, she done a lot wrong. You’re a idiot.

ROSALES: Ultimately, these Trump supporters could not point to any piece of evidence that would cause their support to waiver.

TRUMP FAN 1: I think Trump is the best president we’ve ever had, and I’m all about getting him reelected.

ROSALES: And in a press conference this past week, special counsel Jack Smith encouraged people to actually read the indictment. It’s 49-pages long to get a full grasp of the body of evidence there. These Trump supporters I spoke with made it clear they have zero interest in doing that.

Watch the clip above, via CNN Newsroom.