- Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House, was criticized after she tweeted that former President Donald Trump will have a chance to "prove innocence" in court.
- Republicans have spoken out against Pelosi's phrasing, saying that in America, a person is innocent until proven guilty.
- Former President Trump has also criticized the grand jury's decision, calling it "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history."
Critics have slammed former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi after the Democrat tweeted that former President Donald Trump will have a chance to "prove innocence" in court.
Pelosi was responding to the decision of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the former president over his alleged role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
It's not yet clear exactly what charges the former president will be facing, but he has denied any wrongdoing—as well as denying having an affair with Daniels—and repeatedly criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
"The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law," Pelosi tweeted. "No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence."
"Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right," she added.
Newsweek has reached out to Nancy Pelosi's office via email for comment.
Some Republicans strongly criticized the way Pelosi had phrased her tweet, pointing to the fact that in the U.S., those accused of crimes are innocent until they're proven guilty.
"The right to 'prove innocence'? This is America, not Stalinist Russia," wrote Republican Senator Josh Hawley.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz wrote: "This tweet—and the indictment it's praising—is a mockery of our justice system."
"Pelosi says Trump has a 'right' to 'prove [his] innocence.' That's exactly BACKWARDS: Under our Constitution, you're innocent until proven guilty. The indictment is frivolous & an abuse of power," Cruz added.
"Weird, I thought the standard was 'innocent until proven guilty,'" tweeted Republican Representative Kat Cammack. "Welcome to Biden and Pelosi's warped America..."
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who is also a Republican, weighed in, saying: "Nancy pelosi's tweet that 'everyone has the right to prove their innocence' is a 100%misreading of the American constitution. In totalitarian states you are guilty until proven innocent. In America you are innocent until proven guilty. She turned the American system upside down."
"Nancy Pelosi is dead wrong here. Does she really have no clue that the burden is not on a defendant to prove their innocence at trial?" tweeted former GOP Representative Lee Zeldin.
Conservative commentator and radio personality Mark Levin wrote: "Stalinist Pelosi. Prove innocent? It's innocent until proven guilty, moron. Or at least used to be."
Tom Fitton, president of conservative group Judicial Watch, tweeted: "Pelosi confirms malicious political prosecution by suggesting Trump is guilty until proven innocent!"
Former President Trump strongly criticized the grand jury's decision in a statement obtained by Newsweek on Thursday, calling the move "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history."
"From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement," Trump said.
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About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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