Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate were quick to denounce the guilty verdict of former President Donald Trump in his first criminal trial, decrying the charges as being politically motivated and intended to harm his presidential campaign.
The jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts, marking the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been convicted of a felony crime, adding a significant chapter to the already tumultuous post-presidential period for Trump. Republicans were quick to reject the conviction, accusing Democrats of interfering with the 2024 election.
“Today’s verdict shows how corrupt and rigged the American justice system has become under Joe Biden,” said House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a statement. “The facts are clear: this was a zombie case brought forward by Joe Biden’s allies in a desperate attempt to save Biden’s failing campaign and the verdict hinged on the testimony of a convicted felon who was disbarred for lying.”
Trump is likely to appeal the charges, which Stefanik said she would support and that she expects the New York Court of Appeals to overturn the decision. Other Republican leaders also indicated they’d support his appeal, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
“The American people see this as lawfare, and they know it is wrong — and dangerous. President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict—and he WILL WIN!” said Johnson, who is the highest-ranking Republican lawmaker to weigh in so far.
“Democrats just pulled off the biggest sham in U.S. history,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) in a post on X. “The American people won’t forget this corrupt, two-tiered system of justice and will issue the real verdict at the ballot box in November.”
Trump also received support from Senate Republicans, including Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), who is considered a contender as the former president considers a running mate. Vance decried the decision, amounting it to “election interference.”
This decision is a disgrace to the rule of law and our Constitution. Dems invented a felony to ‘get Trump,’ with the help of a Soros funded prosecutor and a Biden donor Judge, who rigged the entire case to get this outcome,” Vance said. “This isn’t justice, it’s election interference.”
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Republican groups have already begun fundraising off the verdict, with both the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee sending out missives seeking funds from supporters.
“This verdict is a sham and the American people know it,” NRSC Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) said in a statement. “Democrats weaponized the justice system and held a trial worthy of a banana republic. The judge, who is a donor to Joe Biden’s campaign, displayed extreme bias and this verdict should be overturned on appeal in order for justice to be served.”
The verdict comes after District Attorney Bragg, the elected Democrat who pursued the case with vigor, had revived misdemeanor charges that were beyond the statute of limitations by bringing them as felonies with the claim that Trump falsified documents while committing an additional crime. Although Trump was not charged with an additional crime, prosecutors successfully convinced the jury that Trump had falsified the records in an illegal effort to influence the 2016 race.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution called 22 witnesses and showcased a series of documents and financial records that sought to paint Trump as the cause of the false business entries. Key witnesses included Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, who provided what he said were insider details about the payments and their intended purpose.