Why Nicolle Wallace says it’s 'unfair' to compare Trump to the mob

President Donald Trump is worse than the mafia, a news anchor argued on Monday, because at least the mob tends to be competent.

“I actually think the comparisons to the mob are unfair, because as violent as the mob is, they — historically — can be more competent than that,” MS NOW anchor Nicolle Wallace said on Monday. She was referring to Trump’s failed attempt to renovate the Reflecting Pool. “This was a botched redecorating of a monument.”

She added, “It doesn't belong to Donald Trump. It doesn't belong to any president in office. He's the steward of it for four years, and he ruined it.”

Journalist Scott MacFarlane continued that Trump’s arrests of people he claims without evidence sabotaged the Reflecting Pool are baseless and not even serious cases.

“They're not major cases,” MacFarlane told Wallace. “They are U.S. Park Police or federal law enforcement citations. If the Department of Justice wants to make these major cases and charge these people with felonies, they have to go to a grand jury. And though grand jury deliberations are secret — held in a closed room — you might hear the laughter outside the grand jury room if they try to bring this case to a D.C. grand jury. It's not going to fly.”

He added that people who visit the Reflecting Pool notice “a smell that's emanating now that is reminiscent of a high school locker room. You have a police force, a National Guard presence, that is profound. It's never bad to have federal law enforcement near a gathering place, and a lot of people are gathering there to rubberneck at the damage. But it's like a jewel heist from the Muppets — the caper's gonna happen. You have so many police hanging out there, and it seems to be a misappropriation of resources.”

In contrast to Wallace, former US Attorney Barbara McQuade argued earlier this month that Trump acts very much like a mob boss.

“He uses his power to try to control others, especially would-be critics,” McQuade argued, speaking to The Guardian. “He uses any leverage he can get, inflicting pain to try to coerce them to come to the table to negotiate their own punishment. He’s done it with law firms and the media and universities and even foreign allies with tariffs.”

As one example, she cited how Trump attempted to punish the State of Michigan because of local politicians there opposing him.

“He has threatened to hold up the opening of the Gordie Howe bridge between Detroit and Canada and there’s an owner of a private span next to it who made a million-dollar donation to the MAGA SuperPac at around the same time,” McQuade observed.