‘Trump and His Merry Band Really Have Lost,’ Says Veteran Anchor Sam Donaldson, Predicting DOJ May Bring Him Down Like Capone’s Tax Troubles

Veteran anchor Sam Donaldson popped back on the television airwaves to share his analysis of the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago, expressing his optimism that the former president would be held accountable, comparing him to gangster Al Capone.

Donaldson spoke to CNN Newsroom anchor Jim Acosta on Sunday, who introduced the former ABC News anchor and White House correspondent as a “broadcasting legend” and “friend.”

Acosta remarked that Donaldson’s career had spanned stories including Vietnam, Watergate, the Clinton impeachment, and Iraq War, and asked how he thought the media should cover the story of top secret documents being recovered from Mar-a-Lago.

Trump’s potential violations of the law, including the Espionage Act, were a “very serious crime,” said Donaldson, and reminded him of the infamous Prohibition-era Chicago gangster.

“I thought of Al Capone,” said Donaldson, who had “bootlegged millions of gallons of whiskey” and there had been ” a lot of credible evidence he ordered the murder of many people.”

The authorities “never brought him to justice” on those crimes, Donaldson continued, but the IRS discovered Capone was cheating on his income taxes, “so they brought him to justice on that,” and he died in prison.

This kind of approach might make sense regarding Trump, said Donaldson:

If the attorney general cannot bring himself, because of lack of evidence or belief the country is not ready to bring a president on charges of insurrection or obstruction of justice, how about violation of laws which keep this country safe like the Espionage Act?

If there’s credible evidence, I think more of the American public would say, “Well, yeah, he shouldn’t have done that, let’s see what the jury of his peers provides for.” I’d like to see it.

Trump and his allies had “offered up a slew of shifting explanations” that didn’t pass the “smell test,” said Acosta.

Donaldson replied that there should be an investigation and the FBI “should explain what they did, why they did it, and why it was legal and necessary,” and while he doubted that would be enough to convince die-hard Trump supporters, he expressed his optimism that the majority of Americans would be convinced of the truth.

“Donald J. Trump and his merry band really have lost,” said Donaldson. “We’re not going to allow them to control the country, they’re not going to seize the United States.”

He predicted that there might be another “dip” in 2024, “but the majority of Americans quite clearly want to preserve the country, the democracy, the ideals, the opportunity for everyone regardless of the color of their skin or their way of religious faith to rise.”

“I think, truly, this glass may be half-full at the moment,” he added, “but it’s filling up and not draining down.”

Donaldson maintained this optimism in further questions from Acosta, saying “a few states might go bad in 2024…but the majority of them won’t.” He highlighted for praise the Georgia Republicans who upheld the result of the 2020 presidential election, despite their own votes for Trump — “[they] held to the truth…we need those people” — and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

Cheney, facing an all-but-certain primary loss to a Trump-backed challenger, was still “a good Republican,” said Donaldson, noting some of her recent party-line votes. The retired newsman said he “admired” conservatives who voted against certain programs “because they think the government is encroaching too much” and distinguished that from those who were “supporting Donald J. Trump and Trumpism when they know better.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.