Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) on Thursday said former President Trump’s hush money trial in New York was a “prosecution” and not a “prosecution.”
“I’m a former judge,” Abbott said. Said “And the reality is, the sentence handed down by this judge in New York is completely wrong in a number of ways. Just look at the jury instructions,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday, in a clip highlighted by Mediaite.
The former president became the first former U.S. president to be convicted after a jury found him guilty last week on all charges of falsifying business records to conceal an alleged affair during the 2016 election campaign.
“There is every reason to expect this verdict will be overturned, but most Americans view this as an unfair trial,” Abbott continued. “And you see that in the fundraising numbers and the polling numbers that Trump has been able to garner in the aftermath of this verdict. And maybe this is part of the reason, but there are other reasons too, but Trump has more support in black communities, Hispanic communities, every community across the country. This is not prosecution, this is persecution.”
Many other prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have also criticized the hush money case ruling.
“It’s horrible. What this shows is that they can go after a former president on these ridiculous charges and get a conviction, they can go after anybody,” Rubio said on Fox News’ “Hannity” last week.
“And most people can’t afford to fight these diseases.”
His own statement “This is a shameful day in American history,” said Johnson, who was released shortly after the sentence was handed down.
“The American people know, of course, that this is a legal war and that it is dangerous,” he added. “President Trump will, of course, appeal this absurd ruling, and he will win.”
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