Washington — Republicans mock the statement in Donald Trump's New York 'hush money'“The criminal trial is scheduled for Thursday, where they will stick with their presumptive candidate for president and claim that the judge – and jury – is biased against the former president as he was found guilty of all 34 crimes.
“Today is a shameful day in American history,” Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said in a statement. “This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one.”
In a social media post Thursday evening, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said wrote that “These charges should never have been filed in the first place. I expect the conviction will be overturned on appeal.”
Trump was convicted by a jury of 34 crimes for falsifying company records to… Payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 presidential election. The verdict came as the presidential election was in full swing, marking an unprecedented moment when the presumptive Republican nominee is likely to be a convicted felon — and can even be imprisoned during his campaign then
But prominent Republicans wasted little time before siding with the former president. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is on a list of people thought to be considered for Trump's running mate, called the verdict “a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our justice system.”
“Biden and Trump's deranged left will stop at nothing to stay in power,” Rubio said in a speech after on social media.
Sen. J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican who is also believed to be on the shortlist and was part of a group of GOP lawmakers who traveled to the Manhattan courthouse to support the former president, said the verdict is “an absolute miscarriage of justice.”
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“The partisan slant of this jury shows why we should litigate politics at the ballot box and not in the courtroom,” he added. after on social media.
Many Republicans have emphasized that the trial and jury selection took place in New York City, which tends to be more liberal than other parts of the country. And some have accused the judge of bias, claiming his family profited from the case.
Elise Stefanik, chair of the Republican conference in the House of Representatives, said the verdict “demonstrates how corrupt and rigged the American justice system has become under Joe Biden.”
“I fully support President Trump in appealing this decision and look forward to the New York Court of Appeals delivering justice and overturning this verdict,” Stefanik said in a statement, calling the case a “zombie case” brought by Mr. Biden's allies to “save Biden's failing campaign.” She added that Republicans must “redouble our efforts and work around the clock to ensure that President Trump can achieve victory in November and save America from Biden's failed far-left Democratic agenda.”
Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who heads the House Judiciary Committee, called the verdict a “travesty of justice” and claimed it was “designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail.”
“Americans see through the Democrats' tactics and know that President Trump will be vindicated on appeal,” Jordan said.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, shared an image of an upside-down flag on social media.
Nikole Killion and Alan He contributed reporting.
