Speaker Mike Johnson, top Republicans rip Trump guilty verdict as political ploy: ‘Shameful day’
House Speaker Mike Johnson joined other top congressional Republicans in blasting former President Donald Trump’s historic felony conviction Thursday as “a purely political exercise” and “weaponization of our justice system” by President Biden.
“Today is a shameful day in American history. Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon,” Johnson (R-La.) railed minutes after a Manhattan jury announced it found the Republican presidential candidate guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money trial.
Johnson was one of several Trump allies who trekked to New York to catch snatches of the trial in person earlier this month.
“This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one,” he continued.
“The weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration, and the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents. The American people see this as lawfare, and they know it is wrong—and dangerous. President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict—and he WILL WIN!”
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 4 House Republican, said the stunning verdict “shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican [sic] the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats.”
“The facts are clear: this was a zombie case illegally brought forward by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden’s political bidding in a desperate attempt to save Joe Biden’s failing campaign,” she said.
“The case hinged on the testimony of a convicted felon who was disbarred for lying and perjured himself when he lied to Congress.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — a staunch Trump ally — also weighed in, calling the verdict a “travesty of justice.”
“The Manhattan kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid bringing attention to President Biden’s failing radical policies,” the Ohio congressman said.
New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis bashed the “sham” outcome as “pre-baked,” saying it was inevitable Trump wouldn’t get a fair verdict in blue New York.
“What Alvin Bragg and the Democrats have accused President Trump of doing in 2016 — conspiring to promote or prevent the election of a person to public office by unlawful means — is exactly what the Democrats themselves have done with this political prosecution,” she said.
“They concocted and conspired this entire witch-hunt and weaponized our judicial system to interfere with the election and prevent President Trump from being reelected in November.”
Democrats, meanwhile, had a field day, led by socialist darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who kicked off her own town hall meeting in the Bronx Thursday night by gloating.
“He was found guilty on all 34 counts,” she said to applause.
“The rule of law applies to everyone.”
Rep. Maxine Waters, meanwhile, wrote on X: “Hallelujah!!! My predictions came true! I predicted three years ago at a speech with the Human Rights Campaign that Stormy Daniels would be the one to get Trump, my faith in the criminal justice system has been strengthened!”
