Former President Donald Trump’s Republican presidential opponents have responded to his guilty verdict in a New York City trial with a range of responses, from blasting Democrats for pursuing the charges against him to complete silence.
A jury on Thursday found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott X posted his own video, calling it a “hoax,” “fake” and evidence of an “outdated and rigged justice system.”
Trump’s running mate claims conviction is ‘certain’, calls it ‘complete farce’
Former members of the 2024 Republican presidential field (left to right): South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Gov. Roan DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. (Getty Images)
“District Attorney Bragg and the judge should be ashamed of themselves. This is not only absurd, it actually undermines the American people’s faith in our justice system. It’s unbelievable,” Scott said.
“But there’s good news coming. District Attorney Bragg, listen up. You cannot silence the American people. You cannot stop us from voting for change. Joe Biden’s fraud, Joe Biden’s double rigging, using the justice system of the United States of America as a weapon against a political opponent, is un-American. Joe Biden, you’re fired. We the people stand with Donald Trump.”
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum wrote, “This decision is a travesty of justice. The judge was a Biden donor. The prosecutor was a Biden supporter. This loafer should scare all Americans. The American people will have their say in November,” while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswami predicted the trial would ultimately backfire, noting District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s promise to “get Trump” and that Judge Juan Marchan’s daughter is a “Democratic Party activist.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Digital that Trump’s conviction would be “an outrage and a disservice to the country.”
“While no one is above the law, our courts must not be used as tools against political opponents. To millions of Americans, this is nothing more than a political prosecution by a Manhattan district attorney who ran for office on a promise to indict a former president, and this conviction undermines faith in our justice system,” he said.
Rep. Kennedy Jr. slams Biden and Democrats for ‘weaponizing’ courts against Trump
“This conviction sends a terrible message to the world about our American justice system and will only further divide us at a time when the American people are suffering from the Biden Administration’s failed policies at home and abroad. A former president who has been convicted in court has the right to appeal this conviction, and I believe that on appeal this verdict will be overturned, restoring the public’s faith in our justice system and equal treatment under the law.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote, “Today’s verdict is the culmination of a legal process bent to the political will of those involved: left-wing prosecutors, a partisan judge and a jury that reflects one of the most liberal places in America — all in an effort to ‘get’ Donald Trump.”
“The very prosecution of this case, involving alleged misdemeanor business record violations from nearly a decade ago, is a testament to the political corruption of the justice system in a place like New York City,” he wrote, “especially given that this same district attorney routinely condones criminal activity that endangers law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.”
“This lawsuit would not have been filed, the judge would not have decided it the way it did, and the jury would not have convicted if the defendant had not been Donald Trump. In America, the rule of law should be applied calmly and fairly, not subject to the political agenda of rigged courts.”
Trump says guilty verdict is a ‘scar’ on New York’s justice system, vows to ‘keep fighting’
Conservative commentator Larry Elder called the verdict “outrageous” and declared that “a monster has been unleashed.”
“If Democrats don’t think that Republican attorneys general and district attorneys can’t wage legal wars against Democratic politicians, they should think again,” he added.
Businessman Perry Johnson wrote, “Today marks an alarming chapter in American history. This has always been a political ploy, not a legal one. It is clear that the Biden Administration is weaponizing our justice system and demonstrating that Democrats will go to any length to silence and eliminate their political opponents.”
“The American people know this is a legal war and understand the dangers. President Trump will, of course, appeal this unjust verdict. And he will win!” he added.
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Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a strong critic of Trump, took a different, but not surprising, approach, arguing that the ruling should be respected.
“While it is not easy to convict a former president and convicted Republican of a felony, the jury’s verdict should be respected. An appeal is appropriate, but the importance of this verdict should not be downplayed,” he wrote.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd have so far remained silent since the verdict was handed down.
A representative for Haley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, and a spokesman for Christie declined to comment.
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