Florida politicians react to Donald Trump guilty verdict

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Trump
Former President Donald Trump speaks to media before his trial at the Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)

Local leaders are reacting to the historic verdict of former president Donald Trump who was found guilty on all 34 counts he faced for falsifying business records.

The jury returned their verdict just after 5 p.m. in a New York court room, and soon after Florida politicians began reacting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to X after the verdict, and said, in part, “In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.”

Republican Congressman Greg Steube also spoke out on X. He represents Florida’s 17th Congressional District, including northeastern parts of Southwest Florida.

Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, who represents Florida’s 26th Congressional District, including parts of SWFL, released a statement regarding the guilty verdict.

He said, in part, “The case against former President Trump is an obvious and blatant travesty of justice and a political witch hunt.”

Democratic Representative Frederica Wilson, who serves Florida’s 24 Congressional District, including the Miami-Dade County area, commented on X in part, “Now that Trump is a convicted felon, under Florida law, he can’t even vote for himself in the election!”

Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz said on X that no one is above the law. She said, in part, “A jury of Trump’s peers heard the facts and were clear: no one is above the law.”

She also represents a portion of Southeastern Florida.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio spoke out on X and said, in part, “Biden and the Trump-deranged left will stop at nothing to remain in power.”

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott released a picture of him with the former president and his lawyer on X after the verdict. In the tweet he said, “I went to New York to stand with President Trump and the American voters will stand with him this November.”

President Joe Biden’s campaign released a statement regarding the verdict, concluding it by saying, “The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power. A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.”

Trump is now the first former president in the history of the United States to be convicted of a crime.

The charges come associated with a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex, noted.

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