The historic indictment of former President Donald Trump received fingers flying throughout keyboards on Thursday evening, as main Democrats and Republicans, authorized specialists and different notables hit social media to answer a former POTUS going through legal expenses for the primary time ever.
The precise expenses remained sealed as of publication time, however Trump responded with a statement calling the indictment “political persecution” and the results of a “witch hunt.”
Learn extra: Donald Trump indicted in Stormy Daniels case — first former U.S. president to ever be criminally charged
And: Why was Trump indicted? And who is Stormy Daniels, again?
He additionally accused Democrats of “weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent,” which was a chorus picked up by many Republicans. This contains Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who accused Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg, who has been investigating Trump’s attainable involvement in hush cash funds to a porn star and a Playboy mannequin, of abusing his energy.
Additionally within the “weaponizing our Justice Division” camp had been Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one in all Trump’s potential main rivals for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, who referred to as the indictment “un-American” on Twitter.
GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniel mentioned extra of the identical, and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan referred to as the Trump indictment “outrageous.”
Eric Trump, the previous president’s son, tweeted that this was “prosecutorial misconduct.”
However Mary Trump, the previous president’s niece who has been a vocal critic of her govt uncle, had a fairly pithy tweet. “I believe it’s time to say ‘Uncle,’” she wrote.
The indictment additionally spurred some celebratory reactions from Trump critics on-line, nonetheless, main hashtags similar to #LockHimUp to pattern on Twitter.
Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, tweeted that whereas the indictment of a former president is “unprecedented,” so was Trump’s alleged “illegal conduct.”
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., echoed that sentiment, including: “It is a somber second for America. We should always let the judicial system do its job with out interference.”
Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “Nobody is above the legislation, and everybody has the correct to a trial to show innocence. Hopefully, the previous President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that proper.”
Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman, who served as lead counsel within the first impeachment trial of Trump, gave a press release saying that “no particular person is above the legislation.” He mentioned that elected officers on either side ought to “make unequivocally clear that there isn’t a room for political violence or interference.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a former federal prosecutor, mentioned the justice system has an obligation to pursue the information and legislation wherever they lead. “Former President Trump could have the identical rights as any legal defendant and the justice system will presume him harmless till confirmed responsible,” he mentioned.
Yusef Salaam, one of many exonerated males from the Central Park 5 wrongly accused of brutally raping a girl within the Eighties, famous in a press release shared on Twitter that Trump has by no means apologized for taking out a full web page advert within the New York Instances calling for the demise penalty for Salaam and the opposite younger males — who had been youngsters on the time.
“Karma,” he wrote.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, additionally recalling Trump’s remedy of Salaam and the now “Exonerated 5,” launched a press release saying “What goes round comes round.”
Bestselling horror writer Stephen King additionally repeated the “Karma” name.
However the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, one of many two girls who acquired the hush cash on the middle of the indictment investigation, tweeted that this truly wasn’t a trigger for celebration.
“The exhausting work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors have to be revered,” he mentioned. “Now let fact and justice prevail.”
Related Press reporting contributed to this text.
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