'Dangerous & Illegal Overreach': GOP, Allies Slam Trump's Criminal Indictment
08:16 GMT 05.04.2023 (Updated: 10:16 GMT 05.04.2023)
© AFP 2023 / ANGELA WEISS
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After Tuesday's arraignment of former President Donald Trump, who faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to 2016 hush money payments that he denies, Republican lawmakers, political leaders and the public have been reacting to the historic indictment.
Even before the criminal accusations against Donald Trump were unsealed in court on Tuesday, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York's 21st congressional district slammed the arrest of the former President’s as part of his arraignment as "dangerous overreach".
"This dangerous and illegal overreach by a radical DA has completely backfired for the corrupt Far Left Democrats who would rather desperately tear apart the fabric of our country than face President Trump at the ballot box. The American people are smart, and they know this is politically charged and that President Trump will defeat these charges in court and turn the tables on the Far Left Democrats by exposing their corruption and abuse of power," Stefanik stated.
She said she was certain the 45th POTUS would overcome the "witch hunt" and "be sworn in as President of the United States of America in January 2025". Stefanik went on Twitter to post a lengthy statement related to Trump's indictment.
Screenshot of Twitter post by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the House GOP Conference Chair.
© Photo : Twitter
Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in connection to his alleged involvement in a $130,000 hush money payment and subsequent cover-up involving a purported affair with adult actress Stormy Daniels, among others. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment earlier in the day.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who led a protest near the courthouse in New York, later wrote on Twitter that the Democrats "arrested President Trump because he’s the only man standing in their way as they fight for a hostile takeover of America. We will never abandon him".
Screenshot of Twitter post by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
© Photo : Twitter
"The arrest and arraignment of former President Donald Trump by a left-wing Soros prosecutor today is making a mockery of the rule of law," Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, said on Twitter. He decried the indictment as "frivolous" and "political persecution".
Screenshot of Twitter post by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
© Photo : Twitter
After the arraignment, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy posted on Twitter that District Attorney Alvin Bragg "is attempting to interfere in our democratic process" and "will be held accountable by Congress".
Screenshot of Twitter post by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
© Photo : Twitter
Seen outside the courthouse in Manhattan on Tuesday, Representative George Santos, R-N.Y. later tweeted that he “showed up because that’s what real supporters do”.
Screenshot of Twitter post by Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y.
© Photo : Twitter
Many of Trump’s allies levelled a barrage of accusations at Judge Alvin Bragg. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., likened Trump’s charges to proceedings typical in authoritarian countries, adding "It is disgusting and Bragg won't be let off the hook".
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pointed out that the “Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent.”
“This pro-criminal New York DA has failed to uphold the law for violent criminals, yet weaponized the law against political enemies,” stated South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
As United States Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri went on Twitter, he had one word for what was happening, "Travesty".
Indeed, this word was often tweeted on Tuesday in response to the criminal charges against Donald Trump.
Screenshot of Twitter post by Patrick James Morrisey, serving as the 34th Attorney General of West Virginia.
© Photo : Twitter
Screenshot of Twitter post by Megyn Kelly, American conservative journalist and media personality.
© Photo : Twitter
Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fl., the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that Tuesday marked "a bad day for all of us".
"Put aside for a moment whether you like Trump or not like him, whether you’re for him or not for him... Today, American politics crosses a line that it’s never gonna come back from," Rubio said in a video.
Even Senator Mitt Romney, R-Ut, a long-standing critic of Trump, released a statement saying the “New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda".
“The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system," he said.
Former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador, and at present GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley stated:
“From everything I’ve seen from this New York district attorney, this is something he’d be doing for political points.”
4 April 2023, 14:01 GMT
