jamiesfeast – Republican candidate Mazi Pilip from New York made it clear on Tuesday that she will not support former President Donald Trump in the upcoming November election if he is convicted of a crime before Election Day.
During a PIX11 candidate forum ahead of next month’s election, Pilip, who is in a tight race with Democratic former Rep. Tom Suozzi to replace George Santos in Congress, made the comment.
“Nobody is above the law,” the Ethiopia-born Nassau County legislator said.
“If he is found guilty of a crime, he will be unable to represent us.”
Former President Donald Trump, who is 77 years old, is currently facing a staggering total of 91 charges spread across four criminal cases. If he is found guilty on all counts, he could potentially face a sentence of up to 712 years and six months in prison.
He has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges and strongly denies any wrongdoing. He argues that the indictments brought against him by both the state and federal grand juries last year are an attempt to discredit him and prevent him from assuming the presidency.
Pilip acknowledged that Trump has not been found guilty of any crime so far. If he remains unconvicted by November, she will lend her support to his candidacy.
“Unless we see that [a conviction], right now, if he is the candidate, I will support him,” the mother of seven said.
Pilip also touted Trump’s record in his first term, arguing that he was a “great president.”
“He was a great candidate, a great president. He did great things for America,” she said. “He improved our economy. He brought a lot of peace process in the Middle East. He was very strong on the international level.”
“I will work very hard with him if he’s going to be the president,” Pilip, a former paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces , added.
According to a recent survey conducted by Emerson College/PIX11, Suozzi has garnered the support of 45% of registered voters in the Third District, which encompasses Nassau County and eastern Queens. On the other hand, Pilip has secured 42% of the voter support.
The special election is scheduled for February 13, with early voting commencing on February 3.