Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan, marking the first-ever criminal indictment of a former US president. The charges stem from an investigation into hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Following news of the indictment, top Republicans including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rallied around Trump, accusing prosecutors of “weaponizing” the legal system against him. McCarthy even took aim at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Twitter, accusing him of routinely freeing violent criminals.
Two of Trump’s children also weighed in on social media, with Eric Trump calling it “third world prosecutorial misconduct” while Donald Trump Jr. claimed his father's opponents are "willing to turn us into a Banana Republic" to stop him.
While many celebrity critics have expressed their joy at the news on Twitter, conservative and liberal media personalities had mixed reactions. Left-wing users praised the news while conservatives blasted the announcement.
The indictment remains under seal but sources close to Trump say he is facing more than 30 criminal charges in total which could lead to additional potential charges being brought against him.
Trump himself responded by claiming that this was “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history” and predicted that “this Witch-Hunt” will backfire on Democrats who are targeting him for political reasons.