Republican politicians across the country reacted with outrage Tuesday as former President Donald Trump was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to 37 federal felony charges in a classified records case.
GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, called the arraignment a “dark day for our country” as “Joe Biden continues to fully weaponize the federal government against President Trump, his leading opponent for the White House in 2024.
“America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law,” the New York Republican continued. “The American people see the glaring double standard: one set of rules if your last name is Biden or Clinton and another set of rules for everyone else. It’s never been more important that we unite behind President Trump’s historic campaign to win the White House, to restore the rule of law, and save our Republic. God bless America, President Trump, and all those targeted by Biden’s regime as we continue our efforts to end this corrupt political weaponization and stop the deep state.”
“Make no mistake: at today’s arraignment you are watching a sitting President use his DOJ to put his top political rival in jail,” Stefanik’s Republican colleague from South Carolina, Rep. Nancy Mace, said in a statement. “Both sides of the aisle should be able to set aside their emotions and see how dangerous of a precedent this sets.”
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Former President Donald Trump boards his personal plane at Miami International Airport, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Mace’s fellow South Carolina Republican, Gov. Harry McMaster, also posted a statement calling Tuesday a “troubling day” and said Trump opposition has gone “too far.”
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Former President Donald Trump greets supporters at Versailles restaurant on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami. Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department’s efforts to get the records back. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“I STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP!” Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz tweeted.
“The Swamp fears President Trump, and that’s exactly why they’re doing everything possible to stop him,” Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted.
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In this court sketch, former President Donald Trump stands alongside his lawyers during his arraignment at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Federal Courthouse in Miami, Florida on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)
Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records at Mar-a-Lago in federal court in Miami, Florida on Tuesday.
The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.
This is the first time in United States history that a former president has faced federal criminal charges.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
