August 15th, 2023
By Yaron Steinbuch
GOP lawmakers defended former President Donald Trump after he was indicted by a Georgia grand jury in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state — accusing Democrats of “weaponizing” the federal government.
Trump, 77, and 18 of his top allies, including his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, were charged in a sweeping racketeering case — under a statute normally associated with mobsters.
It is the fourth indictment that Trump is facing, but his Republican allies were quick to come out and support the 45th president.
“Justice should be blind, but [President] Biden has weaponized government against his leading political opponent to interfere in the 2024 election,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Now a radical DA in Georgia is following Biden’s lead by attacking President Trump and using it to fundraise her political career. Americans see through this desperate sham,” added McCarthy, the highest-ranking lawmaker to issue a statement.
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) also lashed out at Trump’s latest indictment in less than five months.
“This is another rogue Far Left radical District Attorney weaponizing their office to target Joe Biden’s top political opponent President Trump,” Stefanik said in a statement about the “Continued Partisan Witch Hunt.”
“President Trump had every legal right to challenge the results of the election. This radical DA displayed political bias toward President Trump so much that a judge disqualified her from part of this case,” she continued.
“This blatant election interference by the Far Left will not work, President Trump will defeat these bogus charges and win back the White House in 2024.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) didn’t even wait until the indictment was handed down to come out swinging.
“I’m pissed. I’m pissed at these. Over and over and over again. If there are indictments tonight, it’ll be the fourth indictment of Donald Trump. This is disgraceful,” Cruz told Fox News.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “this is another sad prosecutor trying to make a career out of indicting Trump. That’s all this is about,” referring to DA Fani Willis.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also weighed in, claiming the former commander-in-chief “did nothing wrong!”
“Today’s indictment is just the latest political attack in the Democrats’ WITCH HUNT against President Trump,” he wrote on X.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said in a statement that “electing Trump for the third time, putting him back in the White House, and saving our country is plan A,” adding: “I advise all Democrats…pray for plan A.”
Hours after the indictment was handed down, Trump took to Truth Social to assail Georgia prosecutors.
“So, the Witch Hunt continues! 19 people Indicated [sic] tonight, including the former President of the United States, me, by an out of control and very corrupt District Attorney who campaigned and raised money on, ‘I will get Trump,’” he wrote.
“And what about those Indictment Documents put out today, long before the Grand Jury even voted, and then quickly withdrawn? Sounds Rigged to me! Why didn’t they Indict 2.5 years ago? Because they wanted to do it right in the middle of my political campaign. Witch Hunt!” he added.
In late March, Trump was charged by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg with 34 counts of business fraud in connection with so-called hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
In June and August, special counsel Jack Smith indicted him twice in just a few weeks — first for allegedly stashing classified White House documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and then in connection with his bid to remain in power following his defeat by Biden.
Read the full article from the New York Post here.
