Topline
Republicans from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) rallied around former President Donald Trump following his history-making criminal indictment in Manhattan on Thursday, attacking the probe as a “weaponization of the legal system”—matching Trump’s accusations of a “Witch-Hunt” against him.
Key Facts
DeSantis, who is widely expected to challenge Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, called the indictment “un-American” in a tweet that did not directly mention Trump, adding that he will not assist in an extradition request for Trump (it’s unclear if Trump will need to be extradited from his Mar-A-Lago home in Florida as his attorneys have reportedly said he will voluntarily surrender to authorities in New York City).
McCarthy targeted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a tweet, accusing him of “routinely” freeing “violent criminals to terrorize the public” and warning that the House will hold Bragg and “his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” while House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) responded with a one-word tweet: “Outrageous” (Bragg has rebuffed House GOP lawmakers’ attempts to investigate his Trump probe).
Trump ally and Conservative Political Action Committee Chair Matt Schlapp called the indictment “an outrageous breach of constitutional norms and a continuation of maniacal political prosecution” in a statement that blamed “the Left” for turning the American justice system into “political weapons” (Schlapp is currently facing a lawsuit from a GOP campaign staffer accusing him of sexual assault).
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who was endorsed by Trump in his 2022 campaign, called Bragg’s probe “blatant election interference” based on “an unprecedented, doomed-to-fail legal theory and a baseless misdemeanor charge from seven years ago,” he said in a statement (it remains unclear what charges Trump will face, or whether they are misdemeanors or felonies).
Two of Trump’s children also weighed in on the indictment on Twitter: Eric Trump called it “third world prosecutorial misconduct,” while Donald Trump Jr. claimed his father’s opponents are “willing to turn us into a Banana Republic to stop him.”
Two of Trump’s children also weighed in on the indictment on Twitter: Eric Trump called it “third world prosecutorial misconduct,” while Donald Trump Jr. claimed his father’s opponents are “willing to turn us into a Banana Republic to stop him.”
Key Background
Trump became the first former president to be indicted in U.S. history Thursday, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to Forbes. A Manhattan grand jury voted to bring charges against Trump in connection to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about their alleged 2006 affair. While the indictment is under seal and the specific charges have yet to be made public, prosecutors were widely expected to pursue a misdemeanor falsifying business records charge against Trump, since his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, was reimbursed for the payments to Daniels by the Trump Organization under a contract that falsely specified the services were for legal fees. The charge could be elevated to a felony if prosecutors can tie it to an intent to commit a second crime, which is likely to center on a violation of campaign finance laws, after federal prosecutors determined in their 2018 case against Cohen that the payments were intended to sway the results of the 2016 presidential election.
Chief Critic
Trump, who has denied the alleged affair with Daniels, blasted the indictment as “the unthinkable” in a statement Thursday afternoon, calling it the latest step in what he described as “a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”
What To Watch For
When Trump will be formally arrested and arraigned. Bragg’s office said in a statement released Thursday that his office has contacted Trump’s team to arrange for his surrender, and Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said he expects the arraignment to take place early next week. Trump will likely be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken, but is expected to be released under New York bail laws that require most non-violent defendants to be freed without bail.
Contra
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)—a frequent Trump critic—called the indictment “unprecedented,” but added, “so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged Trump’s supporters to let the judicial process “proceed peacefully and according to the law,” in a statement Thursday that stopped short of applauding the indictment. “Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American,” Schumer said, adding “there should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case.”
Crucial Quote
Daniels’ lawyer Clark Brewster said the “indictment of Donald Trump is no cause for joy. The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law #teamstormy,” he tweeted. Daniels retweeted the post with the words “thank you.”
Further Reading
Trump Indicted By Manhattan Grand Jury—Arraignment Expected Next Week (Forbes)
Here’s What Will Happen If Trump Is Arrested (Yes, He’ll Probably Get A Mugshot) (Forbes)