Ben Shapiro Criticizes Trump’s Alleged $230 Million DOJ Settlement Request as a “Poor Strategy

Conservative commentator and podcast host Ben Shapiro recently speculated that if former President Donald Trump were to pursue $230 million in damages from the Department of Justice, it could potentially trigger another impeachment process in the House of Representatives.

During an interview with Batya Ungar-Sargon, Shapiro remarked, “I believe there are significant conflicts of interest involved here. I cannot envision a scenario where this does not lead to numerous lawsuits or possibly even impeachment proceedings in the House. It’s simply not a wise approach.”

Earlier this week, Trump claimed that the federal government owes him “a significant amount of money” due to previous Justice Department investigations into his conduct. He asserted that he would ultimately have the final say on any settlement, as such a decision would require his approval.

In related news, the White House has announced that the release of upcoming inflation data is expected to be delayed until next month.

Trump’s comments to reporters at the White House came in response to questions about a New York Times story that said he had filed administrative claims before being reelected. He sought roughly $230 million in damages related to the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago property for classified documents and for a separate investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.

Shapiro said he was “incredibly sympathetic” to the Trump family for being “targeted by law enforcement.”

“To pretend that it’s not a conflict of interest, for the president to ask the DOJ that he appointed to maybe sign him a check for $230 million, even if it’s going to go to charity, that obviously raises significant conflicts of interest that I think would be impossible to get around in sort of any legal context.”

Trump said Tuesday he did not know the dollar figures involved and suggested he had not spoken to officials about it. But, he added, “All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money.”