Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, becoming the first-ever former U.S. president to face criminal charges. The indictment was sparked by an investigation into hush money payments made prior to the 2016 presidential election to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The charges remain under seal, though sources close to Trump suggest that he is facing more than 30 criminal charges in total. Upon hearing news of the indictment on Thursday (30 March), prominent Republicans rallied around him.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy led the charge, with both condemning Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly weaponizing the law against a political opponent.
McCarthy targeted Bragg directly in a tweet which reads: “Routinely freeing violent criminals to terrorize the public while using his office as part of a political witch hunt isn't justice.”
Other Republicans have also criticized Bragg’s decision, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Josh Hawley.
Meanwhile, two of Trump's children took to Twitter with their own reactions. Eric Trump called it “third world prosecutorial misconduct,” while Donald Trump Jr accused his father’s opponents of being “willing to turn us into a Banana Republic” just to stop him.
On social media, many celebrities expressed joy at news of the indictment; however others showed support for the former president.
Trump himself responded via Twitter claiming that this was "Political Persecution and Election Interference at its highest level in history" and predicting that "this Witch-Hunt" would backfire on Democrats who were trying desperately hard not let him run again for presidency next year.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bragg's office has started examining an alleged $150,000 payment made to Karen McDougal and prosecutors could use this alleged hush money payment to bring additional potential charges against Trump. With the indictment being the first for a former president in U.S. history, it remains to be seen what implications this will have for both Trump and his supporters moving forward.