Trump indicted on charges stemming from Jan 6 investigation
Former President Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a news conference on the Supreme Court at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas, said Wednesday that former President Trump's indictment was an attempt by Democrats to boost their chances in the 2024 election.
“It is not subtle, and it's not complicated. This is straight out election interference by the Biden Department of Justice," Cruz said on the Wednesday episode of his podcast, "Verdict with Ted Cruz."
“My biggest sentiment was that it was thoroughly underwhelming. There's very little there there," he said about contents of the indictment itself.
“This is a political indictment, brought by a political prosecutor, working for a political attorney general working for a political president, who does not want to risk losing to Donald Trump in November of 2024," he added.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to defang federal agencies like the Justice Department after Special Counsel Jack Smith handed down a third indictment against former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis made the comments during a Wednesday interview with Fox News host Harris Faulkner, saying Trump's indictment was evidence that agencies are heavily biased against Republicans.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to defang federal agencies like the Justice Department after Special Counsel Jack Smith handed down a third indictment against former President Donald Trump.
"One of the reasons I'm running for president, Harris, is to reconstitutionalize the federal government," DeSantis said. "These agencies that have become weaponized, the FBI, the DOJ, against political opponents--that's a result of them not being held constitutionally accountable."
"The reality is a D.C. jury would indict a ham sandwich and convict a ham sandwich if it was a Republcian ham sandwich," he continued. "I think Republicans need to be able to remove cases out of D.C. I think the juries are stacked; I think they're gonna want to convict people they disagree with."
Chris Christie blasted former President Trump as a "disgrace" and says he violated his oath to the U.S. Constitution
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie says former President Donald Trump "violated his oath" to the U.S. Constitution with his effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Christie made the statement Tuesday night on Twitter, condemning Trump's actions following the 2020 election night as a "disgrace."
"The events around the White House from election night forward are a stain on our country’s history & a disgrace to the people who participated. This disgrace falls the most on Donald Trump. He swore an oath to the Constitution, violated his oath & brought shame to his presidency."
Christie is one of several Republicans who have blasted Trump in the wake of Special Counsel Jack Smith's indictment against him.
Former Preisdent Donald Trump thanked his supop
Former President Donald Trump lashed out once again against the third indictment leveled agaisnt him earlier this week.
Trump took to social media to thank his supporters for rallying to his defense, and he went on to argue that the indictment reveals to the world that "corruption, scandal and failure" has riddled the U.S.
"THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!! I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MUCH SUPPORT ON ANYTHING BEFORE. THIS UNPRECEDENTED INDICTMENT OF A FORMER (HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL!) PRESIDENT, & THE LEADING CANDIDATE, BY FAR, IN BOTH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION, HAS AWOKEN THE WORLD TO THE CORRUPTION, SCANDAL, & FAILURE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS," Trump wrote. "AMERICA IS A NATION IN DECLINE, BUT WE WILL MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN, GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!"
Leftists on social media celebrated the third indictment against former President Donald Trump
Leftists across social media celebrated the third indictment leveled against former President Donald Trump this week, with many marking the date "Trump indictment day."
"Happy #TrumpIndictment Day! Waiting for Jack Smith to drop in for victory drinks. I’ve already started popping the champagne," former MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance cheered with a photo of himself celebrating with a drink in a restaurant.
"Happy 3rd Indictment Day to all who celebrate! #TrumpIndictment," YouTuber Sarah O’Connell tweeted.
Blue Amp Strategies CEO Cliff Schecter wrote, "Ok said this was the one thing that would get me to break my Tweetless Tuesday. Happy pending indictment 112th Trump indictment everyone!"
Former President Donald Trump faces a third indictment, this one relating to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are rallying in defense of former President Donald Trump after Special Counsel Jack Smith hit him with a third indictment this week.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York told Fox News Digital that Smith's indictment against Trump marks "yet another dark day in America as Joe Biden continues to weaponize his corrupt Department of Justice against his leading political opponent Donald J. Trump."
"Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter’s business calls over 20 times," Stefanik said. "This directly contradicts Biden’s lie that he never discussed business with his son.
Other Republicans defending Trump include Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia; Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma; Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas; Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and several others.
Read more from Fox News' Houston Keene and Elizabeth Elkind.
Former Vice President Mike Pence didn't parse words when reacting to former President Donald Trump's indictment by Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday.
In a statement released following Trump's indictment on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Pence accused Trump of putting himself over the Constitution, and said a Trump candidacy would serve as a distraction from President Biden's "disastrous" record.
"Today's indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States," Pence said. "I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment."
"The former president is entitled to the presumption of innocence but with this indictment, his candidacy means more talk about January 6th and more distractions. As Americans, his candidacy means less attention paid to Joe Biden's disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter," he said.
Pence declared the country was "more important than one man," and that the Constitutionwas "more important than any one man’s career."
"On January 6th, former President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and I always will," he said.
"As your president, I will not yield an inch in defending America, our people, or our values, and I promise you: I will do so in a way consistent with my oath to the Constitution and the character and decency of the American people. We will restore a threshold of integrity and civility in public life so we can bring real solutions to the challenges plaguing our nation," he added.
Trump was indicted on four federal charges out of the probe, including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
This is the second federal indictment the former president faces out of Smith’s investigation. Trump, who leads the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, has already pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to his alleged improper retention of classified records from his presidency.
Fox News' Brooke Singman, Brandon Gillespie, and Andrew Murray contributed to this report
Former president Donald Trump’s attorney slammed special counsel Jack Smith Tuesday for indicting his client in the January 6 probe, saying it’s a "terribly tragic day."
John Lauro said the 45-page indictment shows that political speech has been "criminalized."
"Joe Biden's running against Donald Trump and losing currently. And now we have [the] Justice Department indicting President Trump for actions that he took as the executive, as the chief executive of the United States with respect to public policy matters," he explained on "Special Report." "So now we have the criminalization and the weaponization of public policy and political speech by one political party over another."
Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump's latest four-count indictment relating to the 2020 election's aftermath will not come close to fulfilling Democrats' dreams of prohibiting the Republican front-runner from attaining high office again, a top law professor told Fox News.
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley's analysis was essentially seconded by another legal expert, former New York federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy, who noted he had himself successfully prosecuted a "seditious conspiracy" case and said the Trump investigation gets nowhere close to that threshold.
Fox News correspondent David Spunt reported on "The Five" that Trump had been indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
Turley told "The Five" that special counsel Jack Smith might be "yielding to his weakness" with the indictment.
Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
The federal judge in Washington, D.C. assigned to preside over the prosecution of former President Donald Trump for charges related to the Capitol riot is notorious for issuing tougher sentences to other Jan. 6 defendants than what the Justice Department requested, and put every one of them behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan was assigned to oversee the case involving Trump, who on Tuesday was indicted on four federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
Chutkan, a former assistant public defender before her appointment by President Barack Obama, has handled several cases involving individuals who entered the Capitol on January 6.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) join fellow Congressional Democrats to reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room at the U.S. Capitol on July 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Top Democrat lawmakers called the latest indictment of former President Donald Trump resulting from Special Counsel Jack Smith's probe into the Capitol riot "the most serious and most consequential thus far."
On Tuesday, Trump was indicted on four federal charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. issued a joint statement Tuesday evening, saying the indictment details "a months-long criminal plot led by the former president to defy democracy."
"The insurrection on January 6, 2021 was one of the saddest and most infamous days in American history, personally orchestrated by Donald Trump and fueled by his insidious Big Lie in an attempt to undermine the 2020 election," the lawmakers stated.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
Read the full text of Special Counsel Jack Smith's indictment of former President Donald Trump here.
Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges related to the probe into the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Former president and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. (Photo by SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump's rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are weighing in on Tuesday's blockbuster announcement that the former president's been indicted in the probe into the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
One of the first to release a statement was former CIA spy and former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, a long-shot for the nomination and a very vocal GOP Trump critic.
"Let me be crystal clear: Trump's presidential bid is driven by an attempt to stay out of prison and scam his supporters into footing his legal bills. Furthermore, his denial of the 2020 election results and actions on Jan. 6 show he's unfit for office," Hurd charged.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the 2023 Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida called for law enforcement reform after his opponent, former President Trump, was indicted late Tuesday afternoon.
After the announcement, DeSantis announced that he would "end the weaponization of government" and push for law enforcement reforms if elected to the White House.
"As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans," DeSantis tweeted.
"While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts," he continued. "Washington, DC is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality."
Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.
Special Counsel Jack Smith held a press conference following his Tuesday indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Trump was charged with four counts out of Smith's investigation into Jan. 6 and 2020 election interference.
Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Special Counsel Jack Smith said Tuesday that the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot was "fueled by lies" from former President Donald Trump, who he charged today with "conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding."
Smith made a public statement shortly after the federal indictment against Trump was unsealed Tuesday afternoon, and encouraged "everyone to read it in full."
"The attack on our nation's Capitol on January 6th, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy," Smith said Tuesday. "Described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies — lies by the defendant — targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation's process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election."
Smith added, though, that the indictment "is only an allegation and that the defendant must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
The co-hosts of Fox News' "The Five" weigh in on former President Donald Trump's reaction to his indictment in Special Counsel Jack Smith's January 6 probe.
Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, speaks at the Republican Party Of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, US, on Friday, July 28, 2023. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy slammed the Tuesday indictment of former President Donald Trump as "un-American" and reiterated his promise to pardon the former president should he win the White House next year.
“The corrupt federal police just won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump. This is un-American & I commit to pardoning Trump for this indictment," Ramswamy said following the indictment.
"Donald Trump isn’t responsible for what happened on Jan 6. The real cause was systematic & pervasive censorship of citizens in the year leading up to it," he said.
"If you tell people they can’t speak, that’s when they scream. If you tell people they can’t scream, that’s when they tear things down. If we fail to admit the truth, Jan 6 will just be a preview of far worse to come & I don’t want to see us get there," he added.
Former President Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social ahead of his Tuesday indictment, blasting Special Counsel Jack Smith as "deranged" and claiming the action was meant to "interfere" with the 2024 presidential election.
"I hear that Deranged Jack Smith, in order to interfere with the Presidential Election of 2024, will be putting out yet another Fake Indictment of your favorite President, me, at 5:00 P.M." Trump wrote. "Why didn’t they do this 2.5 years ago? Why did they wait so long?"
He added: "Because they wanted to put it right in the middle of my campaign. Prosecutorial Misconduct!"
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
GOP presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told former President Trump to "sell Trump Tower" to offset some of his legal fees rather than dip into campaign funds.
"The fact is when you look at just his campaign filing yesterday… most of the money that middle class Americans have given to him, he spent on his own legal fees. I mean this guy’s a billionaire, and how about go down the street – maybe just sells Trump Tower and pay for his legal fees that way," Christie said Tuesday.
"Or maybe sell the plane, he could do that, or one of the golf courses. But instead, he’s taking $25, $50, $100 from everyday Americans who believe they’re giving it to him to help elect him president, and he’s paying his legal fees. And one of the most astonishing ones yesterday was $108,000 for Melania’s stylist, and they called that political strategy consulting," he added.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
The Tuesday indictment against former President Donald Trump on charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot includes six unnamed co-conspirators.
Those co-conspirators, the indictment says on pages three and four, include four attorneys, one Justice Department official and one political consultant.
According to the indictment, Trump "did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate and agree with co-conspirators, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to defraud the United States by using dishonesty, fraud, and deceit to impair, obstruct, and defeat the lawful federal government function by which the results of the presidential election are collected, counted, and certified by the federal government."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, reacted to former President Trump's Tuesday indictment by saying the Washington, D.C. "swamp" was fighting back against GOP efforts to tame it.
"When you drain The Swamp, The Swamp fights back. President Trump did nothing wrong!" Jordan tweeted once news of the indictment broke.
Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary committee, is currently leading his own probe into the DOJ investigation of Hunter Biden.
FIRST ON FOX: Former President Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Fox News Digital has learned.
This is the second federal indictment the former president faces out of Smith’s investigation. Trump, who leads the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, has already pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to his alleged improper retention of classified records from his presidency.
Those charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump was charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of that probe last week.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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