Stefanik rips Pelosi as a ‘radical authoritarian’ for saying Trump needs to ‘prove his innocence’
Pelosi said Trump should 'respect the system' that gives him a right to 'prove innocence'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House GOP Caucus Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., slammed Rep. Nancy Pelosi as a "radical authoritarian" for suggesting former President Trump will need to "prove his innocence" following his indictment.
A grand jury indicted the former president Thursday following Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's investigation into alleged hush money payments made leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the grand jury in a statement Thursday, saying, "No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former president will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Elise Stefanik, left, said Friday that Pelosi's comment that Trump must "prove his innocence" should be "condemned by all." (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Stefanik fired back in a statement Friday, saying that "guilty until proven innocent is not how it works in America."
"Although radical authoritarian Nancy Pelosi no longer holds her speaker’s gavel, she is still considered a leader in the House Democrat Caucus," Stefanik said.
"Her comments on the unprecedented and corrupt indictment of former President Trump are deeply offensive, unAmerican, and completely counter to the American principles of equal justice under the law and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. These comments must be condemned by all."
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also criticized Pelosi, D-Calif., for her view of how the law works.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Nancy Pelosi says President Trump has to ‘prove his innocence.’ That’s not how it works in this country. But that’s how Democrats think. And it’s scary," Jordan tweeted.
Bragg has been investigating a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a $150,000 payment made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. (The Washington Post via Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted against charging Trump related to the Stormy Daniels payment in 2019, and the Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
Donald Trump is the first former president to be indicted on criminal charges. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing with regard to payments made to Daniels and McDougal and has repeatedly said the payments were "not a campaign violation," but a "simple private transaction."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump is expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday, a law enforcement source has told Fox News.