- A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict former President Donald Trump, the first time a serving or former U.S. president has been criminally charged.
- Reaction to the news has been mixed among Republicans, with many condemning the move as politically motivated and others pointing to the legal process.
- Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said that the decision on America's next president should be made at the ballot box rather than in the court system.
Many Republicans reacted with outrage and condemnation following the news that a grand jury in Manhattan had voted to indict former President Donald Trump but others in the GOP struck a less combative tone.
It's not yet clear exactly what charges the former president will be facing after a New York grand jury voted to indict him on Thursday but he becomes the first serving or former U.S. president to be criminally charged.
Trump said that the grand jury had indicted "a completely innocent person" in a statement obtained by Newsweek, while several Republicans said the charges were politically motivated and criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The charges relate to Trump's alleged role in hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has also denied having had an affair with Daniels in 2006. He has repeatedly attacked the probe.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas called the indictment a "political persecution," while Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado wrote: "BREAKING: Trump has been indicted! This is another political witch hunt targeting the people's President."
However, there wasn't universal condemnation of the grand jury's decision, with some Republicans—including critics of the former president—pointing to the legal process.
Republican reactions to the grand jury's decision come as former President Trump remains the leading contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, according to recent polls. Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley is the most prominent Republican to have entered the race against Trump so far, but speculation has been rife that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and others will soon enter the primary race.
GOP Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN that the legal system should be allowed to run its course.
"I believe in the rule of law," Bacon said. "I think we have checks and balances and I trust the system."
"We have a judge. We have jurors. There is appeals. So I think in the end, justice will be done. If he's guilty it will show up. But if not, I think that will be shown too," he went on.
Bacon also stressed that his statements were not about whether he supported the indictment or not, telling CNN: "It's not that I support or not support it. I just think our system works and I'm not going to question it. I don't like the attacks on the overall legal system."
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who has sometimes been spoken about as a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, issued a statement on Twitter on Thursday that did not condemn the grand jury's move.
"It is a dark day for America when a former President is indicted on criminal charges," Hutchinson's statement said.
"While the grand jury found credible facts to support the charges, it is important that the presumption of innocence follows Mr. Trump," he went on. "We need to wait on the facts and for our American system of justice to work like it does for thousands of Americans every day."
"Finally, it is essential that the decision on America's next President be made at the ballot box and not in the court system," Hutchinson said. "Donald Trump should not be the next president, but that should be decided by the voters."
Former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, a strong critic of former President Trump, said it was "a somber day for our nation."
"Donald Trump committed many crimes, but this indictment should be a reminder that in America, NO ONE is above the law," Kinzinger tweeted. "We must move forward and let justice prevail. The anti-democratic threat, however, hasn't diminished."
Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) who has also been critical of Trump, responded to a tweet from Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who had criticized what he called "weaponization of the legal system."
"There's no weaponization of the legal system," Steele said. "There's no political agenda. A GRAND JURY found evidence sufficient to indict Trump. Unless Trump contests extradition, which his lawyers have said he won't, your claim to block extradition is easy and meaningless. But you knew that."
Steele was referring to the fact that DeSantis' tweet said he would not assist in extraditing Trump from Florida, where the former president lives, to New York in order to face the charges.
Bragg said in a statement Thursday evening that his office had "contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a New York Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal."
The former president is expected to leave his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in the coming days to be fingerprinted and processed in Manhattan.
Newsweek has reached out to former President Trump's team via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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
