In a recent episode of the morning talk show 'Morning Joe', panelists drew parallels between former President Donald Trump's recent superseding indictment and a mafia case. The indictment, filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, accuses Trump of ordering a staff member to delete security footage at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and of moving boxes filled with potentially classified documents to his summer property in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Ken Dilanian, a panelist on the show, expressed his astonishment at the allegations, stating, "These allegations rival anything that Richard Nixon was accused of." He went on to describe the indictment as a "scheme to destroy evidence," adding that the indictment "reads like a mafia case."

Dilanian, who is also NBC News’ justice and intelligence correspondent, suggested that the indictment significantly strengthens the case against Trump. He also hinted that this could be just the beginning of Trump's legal troubles, stating, "We’re only at the beginning, really the third inning, I think, of the federal legal troubles for former President Donald Trump."

Willie Geist, another 'Morning Joe' panelist, concurred with Dilanian's mafia-related analogy. He compared the indictment to something "straight out of the Gambino crime family," referring to Trump's alleged instructions to his loyal staff members to delete tapes and move documents.

Geist further elaborated on the mafia-like narrative, stating, "Guys meeting in the bushes at Mar-a-Lago, discussing what to do, and then after the feds come checking on Mr. De Oliveira, the head of maintenance, to say, we want to make sure Carlos is good. In other words, he’s not going to squeal to the feds, right? Is he loyal to us? It is an extraordinary document."

Jonathan Lemire, another panelist, added a final punch to the comparison of Trump's inner circle to a structured criminal organization. He noted the inclusion of an emoji in one of Trump's alleged orders to a staffer, stating, "The fact [that there's an] inclusion of an emoji apparently, also in there, as [if] they’re trying to say, hey, we’re doing something secret, don’t tell anybody, and we use the shushing emoji. So that shows you the quality of henchmen that Donald Trump has in this particular matter."

The panelists' comments highlight the gravity of the charges against Trump and the potential implications for his future. As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how these allegations continue to shape public perception of the former president.