(The Center Square) — New England political figures commented on former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict Thursday evening offering mixed reaction.
“It’s simple,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. posted on X. “He broke the law. He got caught. He got convicted. Is this crime as serious as the others he committed? No. But the rule of law applies to everyone. And this won’t be the last conviction.”
Some Democratic leaders simply used a single line to get their point across. “Trump is a convicted criminal,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., posted on X. “No one is above the law,” Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., said.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., released a statement following the verdict, praising the jury for upholding justice. “To be clear,” Moulton said, “whether or not you like this verdict, this is how our system is supposed to work. This is how a healthy democracy is supposed to work. No one is above the law, not even a former president.”
Moulton continued to address Republicans: “For my Republican colleagues – those that claim to be strong on law and order, family values, and patriotism – when will enough finally be enough? Patriotism is not pandering to a man who would just as well blow up the foundations of our democracy for personal gain. Americans deserve political parties that function for the people. Instead, today’s Republican party serves at the pleasure of Donald Trump.”
New England Republicans blasted the conviction. Former New Hampshire Gov. Chuck Morse, who is running to retake the position, called the justice system corrupt.
“Today’s show trial starkly reveals the extent to which Joe Biden has corrupted our justice system, creating a blatant two-tiered standard,” the New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate said on X. “This weaponization of justice to target a political opponent is an affront to American values and will only embolden President Trump’s supporters, rallying millions of voters to his side.”
Maine GOP released a statement on X: “This trial was clearly a politically motivated farce designed to keep Trump out of the White House. Americans are clearly facing a two-tiered justice system.”
Amy Carnevale, the chairman of the Massachusetts GOP, described what she thinks is a connection between the conviction and Trump running for president in an interview this morning.
“We think that if Donald Trump was not running for president, we would not have seen charges of this nature come before the courts,” she said. “So the fact that he is being — he was convicted — and tried in the first place, we think was simply because of the fact that he was running for president. And that’s really not how our courts should be used in America. Ultimately, elections should be up to the people. … Now we see a case where a conviction is influencing the minds of many Americans, and we just think that’s wrong.”