As a grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump, lawmakers released statements with their reaction to the news as prosecutors worked to arrange a surrender for the former president.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the move a "weaponization of the legal system" and said he believed it was meant to "advance a political agenda" saying that the indictment turned "the rule of law on its head."
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a potential challenger to Trump in 2024, wrote in a statement calling Thursday "a dark day for America."
Hutchinson said, "Donald Trump should not be the next president." He said, "it is important that the presumption of innocence follows Mr. Trump."
Georgia's Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green wrote on Twitter, "enough of this witch hunt," and appeared to cast blame on President Joe Biden, calling for his impeachment.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wrote, "Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our presidential election."
Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said, "Indicting a former president is an unprecedented step and it's a threat to our democracy."
Donald Trump Jr. responded to the indictment during a video posted to the platform Rumble where he called the charges "not really based on fact" and said "when your enemies" are saying that, "it has got to tell you something about where we are as a country."
New Jersey Sen. Cory Bookersaid, "This indictment isn't a trivial matter. A grand jury made up of everyday citizens decided that there is enough evidence to charge President Trump with a crime."
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "Radical District Attorney Alvin Bragg...has largely ignored Congress and abused his office to seek political prosecution of the former president."
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, former Vice President Mike Pence called the indictment an "outrage," saying it would appear to the public as "nothing more than a political prosecution."
