Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) slammed the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump on Friday, claiming the indictment hurts trust in the United States justice system.
Youngkin said Friday marked a sad day for the country, arguing there were two different tiers of justice in the country. He alleged the indictment was politically motivated.
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“These charges are unprecedented and it’s a sad day for our country, especially in light of what clearly appears to be a two-tiered justice system where some are selectively prosecuted, and others are not,” Youngkin tweeted.
“Parents in Virginia know firsthand what it’s like to be targeted by politically motivated actions. Regardless of your party, this undermines faith in our judicial system at exactly the time when we should be working to restore that trust.”
These charges are unprecedented and it’s a sad day for our country, especially in light of what clearly appears to be a two-tiered justice system where some are selectively prosecuted, and others are not. Parents in Virginia know firsthand what it’s like to be targeted by…
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) June 9, 2023
Some conservatives in Virginia have claimed that the Justice Department is illegally spying on parents who speak out at school board meetings. But Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum in the fall of 2021 that directed the DOJ and FBI to work with local authorities to create response strategies that counter threats against school staff, not punish those who merely speak out at meetings.
Youngkin joined other conservatives in defending Trump over the indictment, which charges Trump with 37 crimes related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Former Vice President Mike Pence had warned the DOJ on Wednesday that indicting Trump would send a “terrible message” to the rest of the world.
“We’re the symbol of justice in the world. And the serious matter, which has already happened once in New York, of indicting a former president in the United States sends a terrible message to the world,” Pence said at a CNN town hall on Wednesday. “I think it would be terribly divisive to the country. This kind of action by the Department of Justice, I think, would only fuel further division in the country.”
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson however, called on the former president to drop out of the race due to the indictment.
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Trump’s charges range from giving a false report to obstruction of justice charges and an alleged violation of the Espionage Act.
The former president will appear at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami on Tuesday, June 13. He is expected to plead “not guilty” to the charges.
