After spending more than half a century in public office.

New Jersey's former U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez, on Wednesday was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a corruption conviction that stunned the state's political establishment.

Accepting cash, gold bars and other luxuries from three new Jersey businessmen in exchange for his political clout and for acting as a foreign agent to Egypt before his sentence was handed down, an emotional Menendez told a Manhattan federal judge, quote, other than family, I've lost everything I've ever cared about.

Every day I'm awake is a punishment.

While maintaining his innocence, the once powerful Democrat claimed to be a chastened man, then walked outside the courthouse and delivered this statement to the press and the public.

Have a listen.

President Trump is right.

This process is political and it's corrupted to the core.

I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.

So let's dig in to that.

I'm joined by Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for new Jersey politics.

Mike.

Wow, what an about face.

Menendez comes out, the defiant Menendez we're used to seeing and almost sends up a flare to the Oval Office with those choice words.

I think he's trying to be all things to all people.

Right.

So as much as he's capable of being contrite in the courtroom, which which he didn't acknowledge wrongdoing or anything else, but, and then to come out and to send a different message to Trump, a different message to the public, he hasn't stopped being who he is.

I don't think that there has been a full reckoning for him personally, an acknowledgment that he was wrong or that there was guilt.

And that probably complicated the case that his lawyers had to make.

So, I mean, is there any other way to interpret when he says President Trump was right, this was a political witch hunt, right?

These are people who are after a higher office.

Am I interpreting it incorrectly, or was that a an ask for a plea from the president?

I think it is.

There are really only two cards that he has at this point.

One of them is a potential pardon from Trump.

And let's face it, Trump has made pretty empathetic comments about Menendez getting a raw deal for a long period of time.

As Menendez has faced these legal problems.

The other is and anybody's guess on what Trump might do, it's really, you know, getting inside his head and figuring out what he might do is kind of a fool's errand.

But the other shot he's got is for the Supreme Court to toss aside his, conviction, his public, corruption conviction, which the Supreme Court seems to have had a lot of problems with those laws over the years and seems willing to do, has set aside other politicians convictions.

So he seems to be going after both, guns, both those shots that he has.

And we'll see what happens.

But I guess, what does it do to these pardons?

Are they weakened?

I mean, these were rarely used privileges by the commander in chief, when there were grave miscarriages of justice.

And I'll say President Biden certainly did that as well before leaving office.

But are they being abused now?

You know, I'm struck by one of the founders, maybe.

Monroe said he was really against the pardon for that reason, that it could be used politically in new Jersey.

Our governor didn't have the pardon up until 1947, the new constitution by himself.

It was something he decided in consult with the full court.

And they all had a vote on it.

That was why, Bruno Hauptmann couldn't be pardoned for the Lindbergh, baby kidnaping.

So it's something you really have to treat carefully, and it's something you do have to be mindful of abuse.

And I agree with you that it's got to be reserved as a check and a power on judicial excess, judicial overreach, and at least extensively, that's the case Menendez is making.

Of course, I don't think anybody says that the judge did something that was untoward here or reached an unjust conclusion or anything like that.

Okay, let's shift gears, because, of course, there were dozens of executive orders that have been signed by the president since taking office, sort of a fire hose.

You know, if you will, of things that have been coming out, but also confusion that's come with it.

What do you make of these first couple of weeks in office?

And just the sheer amount of action that's being taken?

Well, you and I have talked about how, Democrats don't even be able to they're not even seem to be able to keep up with this right now.

There's just too much going on at once.

They will decide that they're going to meet to discuss the, the, cease on federal spending, the pause on federal spending, and then repeal it before they can even meet.

Right.

So the volume is just so high and became we'll say he wants to talk about the pardons and then they'll be on to something else.

And so they do not seem to be able to keep up.

However, this is the flurry of the opening days in the office, and we'll see if, Democrats can settle on a message.

I do think that one of the issues here is that Trump is in the honeymoon period, such that it is, and people are giving them benefit of the doubt.

And politicians don't generally like to get out far too in front of, of, of the public.

They want to figure out what the public is.

I mean, it seems like Democrats response is still a bit more quiet than we've seen.

I mean, even even Governor Murphy, who in the past has been diplomatic but also not afraid to criticize the president.

So I think in Governor Murphy's case, he has put a stake in the ground.

He has said, I am looking for the administration's help here on congestion pricing.

First, he's made his ask, and there's some indication that he's getting a receptive ear.

And we'll see where it goes.

Again, we don't know where it will go.

But, at that point, you don't take gratuitous shots while you are trying to work on this major issue with the administration.

You sort of save that.

You hold your fire.

And so I think in his case, that's what's going on.

But I think for a lot of them, they are trying to see where the public is.

So maybe understanding that in order to get anything accomplished, they also need to be a little more measured in their approach?

I think so, and their response.

Micah thanks so much.

Good to talk to you as always.

Thank you.