Trump says Biden will 'pay a very big price' for 'weaponization' of justice system as Bannon heads to prison

Trump says Biden will 'pay a very big price' for 'weaponization' of justice system as Bannon heads to prison

Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress.

BySoo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa , and Kelsey Walsh

July 1, 2024, 10:40 PM

On the same day his close ally and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon reported to prison for contempt of Congress, former President Donald Trump again blamed President Joe Biden for what he claims is a "weaponization" of the justice system, suggesting that Biden is "going to pay a big price" for it.

"Oh, this is pure weaponization," Trump said during an interview on WRVA, a local radio station in Richmond, Virginia, Monday morning, claiming Bannon's prison sentence is an attempt by his opponents to silence him.

"What they've done in this country is unthinkable, and Biden is going to pay a big price for it, I believe," Trump continued, "Because I think that people are gonna say, ‘Well, wow, you've opened up a Pandora's box.' This is a terrible thing that they've opened up. They've unleashed this."

Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022 after he was found guilty of defying a subpoena from the House's Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.Marco Bello/Reuters

Bannon surrendered to law enforcement on Monday to begin his four-month sentence in a Danbury, Connecticut, federal prison after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request to remain out of prison during the appeals process.

Trump's latest comment suggesting Biden will pay "a big price" in the wake of his ally's surrender is a continuation of his rhetoric on "retribution" -- a concept that has become one of the central themes of his 2024 reelection campaign as he faces multiple criminal indictments and legal battles.

Asked about the former president's latest comment, the Trump campaign's national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that "President Trump was referring to the very big price Joe Biden will pay on November 5th when the American people overwhelmingly vote to evict him from the White House."

"As President Trump has repeatedly stated, his retribution will be victory, success, and making America great again," Leavitt continued.

Just last week, during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, when Trump was asked about his idea of "retribution," he insisted, "My retribution is going to be success." But he went on to say that Biden "could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office," claiming he has done "horrible things" as president.

Trump has in the past vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to "go after" Biden should he be reelected to a second term.

"I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor' to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself," Trump posted on his social media platform in June.

Trump has escalated his rhetoric on retribution since he was found guilty of all 34 charges in the New York criminal hush money case.

During an interview with Dr. Phil last month, he said he'd be OK with taking a "forgive and forget" approach but that "sometimes, revenge can be justified."

Steve Bannon, former top adviser to Donald Trump, speaks with the media as he arrives to report to prison at the U.S. federal correctional institution in Danbury, Conn., July 1, 2024.Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Trump has also declined to say whether he'd try to prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the New York criminal case against him, insisting that the prosecutor "did some very bad things" and that "we're going to see what happens." Bragg has not faced any criminal allegations.

Trump's attacks also come as the Supreme Court ruled Monday that presidents are entitled to immunity for "official" acts taken while in the White House, creating what the liberal Justices argue is a "law-free zone."

"This new official-acts immunity now ‘lies about like a loaded weapon' for any President that wishes to place his own interests, his own political survival, or his own financial gain, above the interests of the Nation," Justice Sotomayor wrote in her dissent.