Glenn Youngkin: Trump Indictment Done for ‘Pure Political Gain’

FILE - Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press inside the Rotunda of t
AP Photo/John C. Clark, File
Hannah Knudsen

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Thursday expressed disgust at the news of the New York grand jury voting to indict former President Donald Trump, asserting it is being done for “pure political gain.”

“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,” Youngkin, who some speculate could be a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, said on social media.

“The left’s continued attempts to weaponize our judicial system erode people’s faith in the American justice system and it needs to stop,” he added:

His remarks follow a New York Times report indicating that the New York grand jury voted to indict Trump in the case of alleged hush money being paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

“The felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will likely be announced in the coming days. By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, will have asked Mr. Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now,” the Times’ report reads.

Trump said in a statement:

From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats – the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country – have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference. Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace. Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!

Trump also wrote the following on Truth Social:

These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President. THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!

Several GOP lawmakers across social media are releasing statements supporting the former president. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), for instance, deemed the indictment “complete and utter bullshit.”

“A far-left D.A. is attempting to fulfill a moronic campaign promise and following Democrats’ un-democratic playbook of weaponizing the federal government against Joe Biden’s top political opponent,” he said, describing the actions as an “assault on our democracy.”

“Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said, noting Bragg “routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.”

“The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” he added:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) also released a statement quickly — a stark contrast from his approach when Trump initially announced the rumored indictment and arrest, as DeSantis waited to comment until the beginning of the work week. However, DeSantis made it clear that “Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” although he did not mention Trump by name in the brief statement:

RELATED: Trump Lawyer Tacopina: Indictment Would Be ‘Weaponizing the Justice System’ to Take Vote Out of the Voters’ Hands

This story is developing.

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