Transcript:

What happens when the Dear Leader and his party decide that if the legal system is going to be used against the Dear Leader, then the legal system's got to go? What happens when you take it further? When you take it beyond criticizing the legal system, you take it beyond criticizing those who are investigating you, and you instead decide the system's got to go?

I mean, we know what this looks like in other countries. What does it look like here? Would anyone try that here in the United States, in our era, in our time?

Well, here's, tonight, here's on the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution right now as we speak: "Republicans demand oversight of prosecutors amid Trump probe." Here's part of the lead from reporter Greg Bluestein at the AJC:

"The Georgia House tonight approved a measure to create a new state board that could punish or oust district attorneys — the latest step in an ongoing campaign by Republicans to exert oversight over prosecutors they see as skirting their duties. The measure passed the House 98 to 75 today over the objections of Democrats and prominent prosecutors, among them Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading an ongoing probe of Donald Trump. Republicans have rallied around the overhaul as a way to rein in rogue prosecutors. Powerful Republicans have put it on the fast track. The Georgia Senate has passed a similar version of this legislation, and the overall effort is backed by both Governor Brian Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones."

I should mention Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in Georgia is one of the people who's been notified by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office that he himself is a target for potential prosecution in the investigation into Trump's efforts to throw out the election results in Georgia and have election results in that state falsely declare him the winner. The lieutenant governor is facing potential charges himself in that investigation. He and at least one Republican state senator who's also facing potential charges in that investigation — turns out they are strong supporters of this new measure that would give Republicans in the legislature effectively the power to remove prosecutors that they don't like.

Facing criminal charges? How about you vote yourself the power to fire the person who's going to charge you?

The former president himself, Donald Trump, as of today, is urging Republicans in Georgia that they must pass this legislation so Republicans will have the power to remove prosecutors in the middle of their investigations and in the middle of prosecuting any particular case that Republicans might not like for any reason.

And to be clear, this has now passed the Georgia legislature as of tonight. A version of this bill passed the state Senate, and the House just passed it tonight. And the Republican governor there, Brian Kemp, he says he will sign it. He is a strong supporter of this.

So they're doing it. And I don't know, maybe this would be easier to see if it were happening in another country. And maybe the leader of their party is still going to face criminal charges in other jurisdictions where he is under criminal investigation, like federally, where he's under criminal investigation, or in New York State, where he's under criminal investigation. Maybe he will, maybe he won't. None of us know.

But in the one place where he is under criminal investigation and his party is in full control of the state government, they have just decided — for the first time in that state's history — that it is now for the first time within their own power to remove prosecutors in the middle of their duties on their own say-so.

And yes, this is a story about Georgia. And yes, this is a story about Trump and the potential charges he's facing. But this is a whole new step for us as a country. This is a new thing for us as a democracy.

This is not ranting against the investigators. We've seen that before — calling people names and even picking off individuals in the law enforcement system to try to turn them into enemies. As bad as that all is, we have seen all of that before.

This is not just trying to verbally and politically delegitimize the investigating entities. Those are all very bad things to do. But this is more. Sticks and stones, right? But this is dismantling the way the legal system works — so presumably it can no longer work against him.

This isn't a resolution denouncing a prosecutor who might bring charges against Donald Trump. This is giving Republicans... This is Republicans voting to give themselves the power to remove a prosecutor who acts in a way that they do not like, as she is on the precipice of potentially bringing charges against him.

This passed the Georgia state legislature tonight, and it will soon be on its way to the governor. For Georgia, yes, but for us as a country, this is a benchmark moment. This is new.