Republicans in Tennessee began expressing outrage after a jury in New York found former President Donald Trump guilty in a hush-money case, while Democrats began celebrating the historic decision.
Trump was charged with 34 felonies for falsifying company records. Prosecutors alleged that the former president falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Jurors found Trump guilty of all 34 crimes. The verdict was announced shortly after 4:00 PM CT.
More: Former President Donald Trump found guilty on all counts in hush money case: live updates
Reacting to the verdict, Tennessee Republican officials reiterated their support for the former president’s bid for the White House. Sen. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, was the first Republican to share a response to the news on social media, pledging continued support for the convicted former president.
I stand with President Trump and look forward to him being re-elected as our President later this year. The American people will speak loudly and reject the partisan politics of the Biden administration and its supporters.
— Dawn White (@VoteDawn) May 30, 2024
“I stand with President Trump and look forward to him being re-elected as our president later this year,” White said. “The American people will speak loudly in rejection of the partisan justice of the Biden administration and its supporters.”
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, who has been rumored to be a possible choice as Trump’s running mate, portrayed the verdict as political persecution and election interference.
“Joe Biden and the radical left have made it clear that they will do whatever they can to keep President @realDonaldTrump out of the White House. This should scare every American,” Blackburn wrote.
In another message, Blackburn characterized the entire proceeding as a “total witch hunt.”
There was no way @realDonaldTrump would receive a fair trial in New York City with:
– A liberal prosecutor who campaigned against Trump.
– A partisan judge who donated to Joe Biden.
– A prosecutor who is a former Biden DOJ official and adviser to the DNC.Total witch…
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) May 30, 2024
Meanwhile, Democrats celebrated the verdict.
Guilty on all 34 counts.
This is an interesting time in our history.
And how we respond determines our future.
Democracy must rise above politics.— Senator Raumesh Akbari (@SenAkbari) May 30, 2024
Perhaps so completely entrenched in politics that it doesn’t matter electorally.
But it says a lot about the good old United States of America that no one is above the law. And that’s a good thing.
— Jeff Yarbro (@yarbro) May 30, 2024
“GUILTY!!!” Nashville Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, shared this in a social media post seconds after the verdict was announced.
This is a developing story. Check back regularly for updates.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump conviction: How Tennessee lawmakers reacted to the verdict
