By Rudi Keller
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, blamed President Joe Biden for the state of New York’s prosecution of Trump for hush money payments to a porn star to keep the story of their sexual liaison private.
“Joe Biden has weaponized the justice system to go after one of the greatest Presidents in our history,” Ashcroft wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The democrats are trying to steal another election.”
Ashcroft’s statement echoed Trump’s false claim that he won the 2020 election over Biden.
New York state prosecutors charged 34 felonies against the former president for each of the 11 invoices, 11 checks, and 12 ledger entries tied to reimbursing his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
Cohen, often referred to as Trump’s former “fixer,” said during trial testimony that he wired $130,000 to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
The two other Republicans running for governor who are registering in primary polls also used social media to proclaim their loyalty to Trump.
“This entire trial was a political stunt and a complete weaponization of our judicial system,” Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe wrote on his X account.
State Sen. Bill Eigel posted a video on his X account accompanied by text saying: “RIGGED! This is a disgraceful sham. I stand 100%” with Trump.
Missouri solidly backed Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, giving him almost 57% of the vote in both years. His endorsement was aggressively sought by candidates in the 2022 Republican U.S. Senate primary, but he withheld any preference until the day before the election and then put out a vague statement that did not specify a single candidate.
Trump has all the votes in Missouri’s delegation to the Republican National Convention, set for July in Milwaukee, which is expected to nominate him for a third run for the White House.
On the Democratic side, glee was suppressed by those who were moved to comment.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement from his office that the conviction was not something to celebrate. It shows the strength of the American justice system, he said.
“Today is a victory for justice and the rule of law,” Cleaver said. “Just as every American is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, we are equally guaranteed that no individual, including a former president, is above accountability.”
State Rep. Doug Mann of Columbia noted the historic nature of the event – Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a felony after leaving office – and then considered the political impact:
“Will this affect the campaign?,” he wrote on X. “Likely not, but it is good to see the judicial system work and see powerful people held accountable for their misdeeds”
Democratic state Rep. Keri Ingle, a Lee’s Summit Democrat, didn’t directly comment on the verdict, instead relying on snark to express her feelings.
“So, anything interesting happen today?” Ingle wrote on X.
From Washington, U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, both Republicans, expressed their support for Trump.
In one post, Hawley joined Ashcroft in blaming the prosecution on Biden. In a separate post, Hawley attacked the proceedings in New York City.
“This ‘trial’ has been from beginning to end a complete and total sham, a mockery of the criminal justice system, and one of the most dangerous abuses of our political process in American history,” Hawley wrote.
Schmitt compared the trial to the staged proceedings in the Soviet Union used by Communist dictator Josef Stalin to cement his power in the 1930s.
“The American people will reject this unprecedented lawfare in November,” Schmitt wrote.
State Rep. Sarah Unsicker, a Shrewsbury Democrat, shot back at Schmitt that he was just making things up.
“That’s a conclusion with no supporting evidence,” Unsicker wrote. “Too many Missourians know what a Soviet-style show trial is like, from their own experiences. And you’ve done nothing to correct that.”
Other Republicans weighing in reflected the comments of the party leaders.
State Sen. Holly Rehder, a candidate for lieutenant governor, said in a statement that the case was brought in a “biased system manipulated by those who fear the power and influence of the MAGA movement.”
Attorney General Andrew Bailey called the outcome an “illegal conviction” and predicted “Americans will overwhelmingly reelect President Trump in November.
Annelise Hanshaw contributed to this report. This article has been updated since it was initially published.
21 comments:
No one is surproised that the The Republican Bootlicker Brigade falls in behind.
I prefer Presidents who aren't convicted felons.
I find the argument of the trial being a political weapon very hard to agree with. There were 12 jurors. It would have only taken one of them not to agree to have a hung jury. There had to be at least one Republican on that jury. He is guilty, move on.
Here’s my concern. We have the two worst choices in a presidential election in history. A walking dementia patient and the biggest egomaniac on earth.
Trump has caused this mess on his own, my making himself vulnerable to this “trial”. Just how smart is this man?
Trump is smart enough to allegedly store many documents he was not supposed to have, including highly classified documents, in an unlocked bathroom at a resort he owns.
He allegedly illegally possessed and improperly stored these documents, and illegally paid money to a porn star he had sex with to help keep the so-called 'christian' vote, and this is who the Republican Party is goosestepping to vote for again.
LOCK HIM UP 🤣🤣🤣
2024 - Will go down in history as the worst Presidential Election ever. Two totally dishonorable men with families that all should be in jail. What has America come too? Do we not have any Honorable Individuals in either Party that can serve in the Highest Position and be looked up to in our Country?
Of course, what should we expect, when we make Professional Athletes, Entertainers, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, the Kardashians and other TV and Movie Stars our Role Models and National Heros. What have we become?
Remember Bill Clinton?
How many felony convictions did Bill Clinton have? I remember zero.
Trump has more felony convictions than Baskin Robbins has flavors!
Remember Dennis Hastert?
Remember Larry Craig?
Now if you google "Famous Republican Felons" most of the finds are for Trump.
300 million Americans and our only choices are Trump and Biden?
Trump is going to HATE those cheap prison diapers.
Why in the world are the Kardashians your role models?
Bill Clinton is not a convicted felon though 🤣
Joe is much more cognitively sound than Trump, which isn't even saying much but certainly true in any case.
One is a a convicted felon.
The other is a proven leader who doesn't cheat on his wife with porn stars.
What is your question exactly?
TRUMP 20-24 MONTHS FOR FRAUD
More concerning than the trump conviction is the total capitulation of the Republican party into the discrediting of the very institutions that they claim to be identified by: law and order, justice,common sense. The republican party is now officially a cult and will dismantle democracy if given power to do so. There's no questioning how sick and depraved the republican politicians of today are.
They now are direct threats to our freedom.
Please Both Candidates are Dishonorable men. We all know about Trump - but let's go back and understand that Joe Biden has been a crook and a liar just as long as Trump. Watch this YouTube Video when Johnny Carson talks about Joe Biden on September 16th, 1987, and his Lying and Plagiarism on Speeches - Over 37 Years Ago. Just Copy and Paste this URL and Find Out more about Sleepy Joe - and how he could have even got elected in the First Place!
Stop being Fooled that Biden is any Better than Trump... This was in the News, the Problem is some of you Millennials were not even Born Yet so you have no idea about Joe Biden...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGXRvDT2k8I
I'm drunk on MAGA tears ðŸ˜
1207, this is no longer an election of the best candidate. They both suck. The issue of this election is authoritarianism versus democracy. The lower level of our society align themselves in the fear policies of the right that espouse the works of Putin and other authoritarian leaders. Complain all you want 1207 but the future of democracy and your freedoms that you have spent your life taking for granted are on the line. Hold your nose like the rest of us and vote for biden or watch your country implode.
Post a Comment