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SALT LAKE CITY — Retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch defended President Donald Trump on Monday, saying he doesn’t believe he committed any crimes.
The Utah Republican told CNN’s Manu Raju that he didn’t have any concerns about allegations that Trump directed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to pay hush money to two women with whom Trump allegedly had affairs.
“No because I don’t think he was involved in crimes but even then, you know, you can make anything a crime under the current laws; if you want to you can blow it way out of proportion you can do a lot of things,” Hatch said, according to a Raja tweet.
Hatch added this when asked if he was concerned about allegations.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018
“No because I don’t think he was involved in crimes but even then, you know, you can make anything a crime under the current laws; if you want to you can blow it way out of proportion you can do a lot of things.”
#raju_tweet
Hatch said the Democrats would do anything to hurt the president.
When told the federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York were making the allegations, Hatch said, “OK but I don’t care; all I can say is he’s doing a good job as president.”
Raju also tweeted that Hatch told him, “President Trump before he became president that’s another world. Since he’s become president, this economy has charged ahead. … And I think we ought to judge him on that basis other than trying to drum up things from the past that may or may not be true.”
Hatch, who leaves office next month after 42 years, has been a staunch ally of Trump throughout his presidency. The senator is scheduled to give his final Senate speech Wednesday.
