Republicans rally around Trump amid New York indictment

Key Republican lawmakers and leaders, even critics and rivals of Donald Trump — including all of his declared opponents for the party's 2024 presidential nomination — have rallied behind the former president following a Manhattan grand jury's unprecedented vote to indict him, condemning the case as a political prosecution.

News broke that the grand jury has voted to indict Trump on Thursday, though the exact charges remain unknown. The case pertains to a 2016 payment of $130,000 that Trump's then-personal attorney Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels, a payment which Trump then reimbursed and recorded as legal fees.

Legal experts have denounced the case as baseless.

Declaring that Bragg has "irreparably damaged the nation in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed that the "House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account." 

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential but as-yet-undeclared challenger to Trump, called the indictment "un-American" and indicated that his state would not aid in Trump's extradition. Trump currently resides in Florida. 

"The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," De Santis tweeted. "It is un-American.

"The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent.

"Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda."

Trump's politically estranged former Vice President Mike Pence slammed the indictment as an "outrage," adding that "it appears to millions of Americans to be nothing more than a political prosecution that's driven by a prosecutor who literally ran for office on a plan to indict the former president."

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, another possible challenger, said: "It is beyond belief that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicted a former President and current presidential candidate for pure political gain. Arresting a presidential candidate on a manufactured basis should not happen in America."

Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a sometime critic of the former president, slammed the indictment as "unprecedented" and asserted that "America's justice system should never be weaponized for political grandstanding."

Calling the case "political theater," Texas Republican Rep. Brian Babin denounced the Manhattan DA as an "absolute disgrace."

"We will hold Bragg accountable!" Babin vowed.

Trump even found support from his declared presidential rivals, with all of his challengers condemning Bragg's case.

Declaring that the episode would "undermine public trust in our electoral system & justice system," tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy said, "The politically motivated indictment of the 45th President of the United States marks a dark moment in American history." 

Former U.N. Ambassador and 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley suggested the case was motivated by a political desire for revenge.

This is more about revenge than it is about justice. pic.twitter.com/08ooKRIKJF

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) March 30, 2023

Dark horse candidate Perry Johnson, meanwhile, demanded that President Joe Biden pardon Trump. "Alvin Bragg would rather pursue the politically motivated persecution of President Trump than address skyrocketing violent crime in his city," the Michigan businessman tweeted. "[Joe Biden] should pardon Trump from these theatrics immediately!"

 Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.