‘Dark Day in American History!’: GOP Reacts to Latest Trump ‘Sham’ Indictment

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the 2019 House Republican Conference Mem
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Joshua Klein

Republican officials blasted the Justice Department’s January 6 probe and the fresh indictment of former President Donald Trump, expressing support for Trump in the face of “serial election interference.”

Following Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Tuesday announcement that a grand jury in Washington, DC, had indicted former President Donald Trump on charges relating to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Republican members slammed Smith’s “political witch hunt” targeting “every one of his supporters.”

House Republican Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) released a statement on “the disgraceful non-stop witch hunt by Biden’s corrupt DOJ against President Trump,” calling Tuesday “yet another dark day in America” as Biden continues to “weaponize” his “corrupt” Justice Department against his leaning political opponent: 

Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter‘s business calls over 20 times. This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son. Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden‘s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme — one of the greatest political corruption scandals in history.

According to Stefanik, Trump “had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020.” 

“Despite the DOJ’s illegal attempt to interfere in the 2024 election on behalf of Joe Biden, President Trump continues to skyrocket in the polls and will defeat Joe Biden and be sworn in as President of the United States in January 2025,” she declared.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted how people have recently been informed that Hunter Biden “received money from China (contradicting President Biden’s claim),” that Biden “spoke with Hunter’s business associates over 20 times (contradicting what Biden previously claimed),” and that Biden’s DOJ “tried to secretly give Hunter broad immunity and admitted the sweetheart deal was unprecedented.” 

Noting that, just the day before, a “new poll showed President Trump is without a doubt Biden’s leading political opponent,” he charged that “Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.” 

“House Republicans will continue to uncover the truth about Biden Inc. and the two-tiered system of justice,” he added.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Biden’s DOJ is cutting sweetheart deals for Hunter to cover for the Biden Family’s influence peddling schemes while at the same time trying to persecute his leading political opponent,” wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) as he deemed it “an outrageous abuse of power.”

“Biden DOJ unveils the latest effort to stop Trump from running against Biden – totally unprecedented in American history,” wrote Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

“When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). “President Trump did nothing wrong!”

“It’s no surprise at all that following Devon Archer’s damning testimony yesterday, the DOJ drops more charges against President Trump,” wrote Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). “Their efforts at distraction can never change the real problem: President Biden is in serious trouble.”

“This indictment was announced the day after Devon Archer’s testimony to @GOPOversight,” noted Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ).

“It almost seems that the persecution of President Trump by the DOJ is a cover-up for Biden’s criminal activities,” he added. “But it’s just a coincidence!”

“Political witch hunt,” he declared in another tweet.

“It’s not shocking that every time the Biden crime family has evidence surface (FD-1023), or a congressional hearing that exposes further corruption and abuses of power, that the weaponized DoJ indicts his top political opponent (Pres. Trump),” wrote Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL).

“The American people are not buying the political witch hunts any longer, and the Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government must start its hearings into the DoJ abuses and AG Garland,” he added.

“DARK DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY!” wrote Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX). “It’s not just Trump they’re after, THEY’RE AFTER EVERY ONE OF HIS SUPPORTERS!” 

“We’re going to vote this corrupt regime OUT of office,” he vowed. “Trump will be BACK in the White House!!”

“Democrats would rather destroy America than see Donald Trump in the White House again,” wrote Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to “end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans” if president. 

“If they put President Trump in jail, there will never be a fair election in America ever again,” he wrote in another tweet.

“I STAND WITH TRUMP!!!” declared Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). “The politicized and weaponized DOJ is now committing election interference with this outrageous conspiracy theory set in motion to persecute President Trump and many innocent people.” 

“Democrats can’t win on their failed America Last policies so they’ve taken off their masks and are exposing their true identity, COMMUNISTS!!!” she added.

“Jack Smith is a rogue prosecutor with an axe to grind aganist President Trump, who is willing to tip the country and the rule of law on its head by throwing indictment after indictment aganist their biggest threat,” wrote Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL), who claimed that his support of President Trump “grows with every egregious attachment by Biden’s DOJ to interfere with the 2024 elections.”

“The news of another indictment against President Trump is no shock ahead of 2024,” wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “The Left knows they can’t beat Trump amid Biden’s failures, so they’re trying to take him out with criminal charges.” 

“Biden’s abusing two tiers of justice to target his greatest political opponent,” she added.

“The Democrats have interfered in every election since 2016,” wrote Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), as she listed: the “Russia Collusion Hoax Impeachment Hoax #1; Impeachment Hoax #2; January 6 committee show trial; Suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop; Mar-a-Lago Raid; [and] Alvin Bragg’s phony charges.” 

“This is serial election interference,” she stated.

“The Biden DOJ is doing serious and lasting damage to our country with this political hit job,” wrote Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). “There is a real risk that millions of Americans will never again trust our justice system.” 

“God help us,” he added.

“They’re coming after President Trump because he’s fighting for you. Remember that,” wrote Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX).

“I stood my ground on the House Floor on January 6, and I can tell you that Donald Trump is not responsible for the riot,” he added in another tweet. “As a member of Congress, I will continue to expose this corrupt DOJ. Real America stands with President Trump. We will win this fight.”

“President Trump has faced unprecedented attacks by Dems,” wrote Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV). “He was subjected to two sham impeachment trials, fake prosecutions by an extreme liberal NY prosecutor, had his home raided, and the DOJ is AGAIN coming after Joe Biden’s leading political opponent in an election year!”

“Again and again, the Biden administration has weaponized the justice system to target his chief political opponent,’ wrote Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC). “Joe Biden’s continued abuse of power must be confronted by Congress and his administration must be held accountable.”

“As this latest abuse of power shows, Joe Biden will do anything to distract from the Biden corruption investigation and his failures as President,” wrote Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN).

“Americans deserve better, and they will have the last word on who leads our country,” he added.

“They know they can’t beat Trump given Biden’s disastrous failures and scandals so Biden’s DOJ has created a two tiered system of justice targeting his chief political opponent,” wrote Sen Eric Schmitt (R-MO). 

“‘Equal justice under the law’ has been replaced with ‘show me the man and I’ll show you the crime,’” he lamented.

“Another sham indictment from Biden’s Department of Injustice!” wrote Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT). “This is a blatant attempt by the Left to tamper with our elections.” 

“I urge my House and Senate colleagues to immediately support @RepMattGaetz’s bill, as I have, to defund this witch hunt,” he added.

Trump was indicted on four counts: one on conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; one on conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; one of obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and one of conspiracy against rights.

The announcement was made the day after President Biden had been implicated in a long-running influence peddling scheme by his son Hunter’s former business partner, Devon Archer, in testimony before the House Oversight Committee.

The former president has now been indicted three times: in Manhattan, in April, on state charges relating to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels; in Miami, in June, on federal charges relating to White House documents; and in Washington, on Jan. 6.

Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.

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