'He broke it, he owns it': Trump appointee's court appearance mocked by ex-prosecutor

An MSNBC legal analyst had the panel laughing on Thursday morning as he described how Donald Trump DOJ appointee Emil Bove tried to explain away his desire to let New York City Mayor Eric Adams walk away from corruption charges in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday.

Speaking with "Morning Joe" co-host Jonathan Lemire, former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg explained his view that things did not go well for Bove when pressed by United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Dale Ho whether he was engaged in a quid pro quo offer to advance Trump's anti-immigrant policies in New York City.

"It was quite a spectacle yesterday because you had the number two person, Emil Bove at the Department of Justice, Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer, showing up himself to court –– that's really unusual," Aronberg told the host.

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"It was the right thing to do, though, because he broke it he owns it –– this is his baby," he elaborated. "And in court he said that there was no quid pro quo, he said that under oath. But then his reason for the dismissal of the charges sure sounded like a quid pro quo. He essentially said 'It's not a quid pro quo, your honor, we just gave Eric Adams something exchange for something.'"

As the "Morning Joe" panel began laughing, the ex-prosecutor joked, "I'm not a Latin major but it sure sounds like a quid pro quo, right? But in court, he reiterated what he wrote in that earlier letter ordering the dismissal, where the decision was politically motivated, he they wanted Adams to assist with Trump's immigration crackdown."

"Of course, the implication is that if Adams didn't support Trump's immigration policies, he would still be facing criminal charges," he pointed out. "So first off, that's bad enough; as a prosecutor, you're supposed to uphold the rule of law, not undermine it to support a president's political agenda. But what's worse is that the charges were dropped without prejudice which means they could be refiled at any moment."

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