After the 34 points of indictment were read, ex-US President Donald Trump apparently did not return to Palm Beach quickly enough (the star reported). He then spoke in front of an audience at his residence in Mar-a-Lago. He didn’t come across as combative. Pictures show a Trump who gestures with his hands as usual, but raises his fist in the air with confidence. But the Republican looks worn out to unhappy on the face. In some pictures it looks like the 76-year-old is fighting back tears.
Trump is the first former US President to be criminally prosecuted. This displeases the Republican, who otherwise likes to be the first in the limelight and is currently trying to get the Republican nomination for a renewed candidacy in 2024.
Republicans aren’t too happy either. “Today is a bad day for all of us
US Senator Ted Cruz from Texas tweeted: “The charges against Donald Trump are purely political and baseless.” George Santos, Republican Assemblyman for New York, also attended the arraignment. He reiterated his support for the ex-president on Twitter. He has stood by Trump from the start, voting for him in the primary and twice in the general election. “Today I showed up because that’s what real supporters do, they show up on your best days and your worst,” he wrote.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has confessed to Trump. In a tweet, he stated that he “will always fight against those who want to destroy our republic”.
A family member also commented – but not in favor of the accused. His niece Mary Trump wrote on Twitter about a “historic day” that was a long time coming. “Donald has shied away from responsibility for so long and left so much destruction in his wake that there is a lot to process,” she added with the hashtag “
The democratic camp took the same line. “Mr. Trump was a president of many firsts — none of which were good for our country. His impeachment is another first — one of his own making,” tweeted Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, adding that the twice accused President is “an immoral man” and a “corrupt citizen”.
“Take responsibility, hold yourself accountable and get out,” said Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, when reporters asked him if he had a message for Trump.
The White House was reticent. “The American people should be reassured that we simply do not comment on an ongoing case like this,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press conference.
Nevertheless, not only joy and malice come from the democratic camp, but also disillusionment. Adam Bennett Smith, a California Democrat who served as prosecutor in the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020, wrote of a “dark moment in the life of our country.” “With the case in the hands of the prosecutor, we need to recognize what matters most: even the most powerful are held accountable, and no one is above the law.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer believes Trump will be given a fair trial. There is “no room for outside influence or intimidation” in the US justice system. Protests are an American right. He emphasized, however, that these must remain peaceful.
Among the citizens, the attitude towards the indictment is not very clear – but at least contradictory. According to a CNN poll, three-quarters of Americans believe “politics played at least some role in the decision to charge him.” At the same time, 60 percent of respondents in the CNN study support the charges. Trump’s narrative of “political persecution” resonates primarily among his supporters. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 48% of Republicans still support Trump as a presidential nominee. In March it was 44 percent.
According to his campaign, Trump has made more than $10 million since the indictment was announced. It is certain that both Republicans and Democrats will seek to capitalize on the indictment.
Sources: Reuters, Twitter, San Francisco Chronicle, Independent, CNN poll
