Since leaving office last year, former President Donald Trump has become the target of both state and federal investigations.
According to senior New York Times political reporter Maggie Haberman, the former commander-in-chief is fully aware of the stakes.
Reporter’s take on Trump
Haberman, who wrote the anti-Trump book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump, was seen making that claim this past weekend during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press.
WATCH: Following recent reporting of fmr. Pres. Trump’s growing legal woes, Maggie Haberman discusses how seriously Trump is taking investigations into him.@maggieNYT: “I actually do think he understands how much legal jeopardy he’s in.” pic.twitter.com/SNYpWtCziP
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 9, 2022
“I actually do think he understands how much legal jeopardy he’s in,” Haberman told host Kristen Welker on Sunday.
“And then I think he convinces himself that it’s not that bad,” she continued. “But the fact that he spent $3 million on a retainer for a lawyer whose advice he has sometimes not listened to, I should note.”
“But the fact that he was willing to do that, I had people who worked for Trump in the 1990s reach out to me to say this is the biggest legal retainer he has ever paid,” Haberman added.
Haberman spoke of the possibility that Trump could be criminally indicted following a raid earlier this year on his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Fox News has reported that the Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling this week regarding government investigators can begin going over documents that were taken during the raid.
Supreme Court expected to rule
That follows an emergency petition Trump’s attorney’s filed last week after an Appeals Court ruled in the Department of Justice’s favor.
Should the Supreme Court side with Trump, then special master and former federal District Judge Raymond Dearie will review the documents to determine if they are protected by privilege.
In addition to the raid, Trump is also facing an investigation in Georgia over alleged election interference, and a civil fraud suit by New York Attorney General Leticia James (D).