Trump following indictment: This is political persecution
Former President Donald Trump slams his indictment as a witch hunt.
Two of former President Donald Trump’s children immediately took aim at the move by a grand jury in Manhattan to indict him Thursday — slamming "third-world prosecutorial misconduct" and warning Republicans that they are the next targets of a weaponized political apparatus.
"This is third-world prosecutorial misconduct. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year," Eric Trump tweeted.
TRUMP INDICTED BY MANHATTAN GRAND JURY: LIVE UPDATES
Fox News learned Thursday afternoon that Trump has been indicted. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating Trump for hush money payments made leading up to the 2016 presidential election — including a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a $150,000 payment made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. It makes him the first former president to face criminal charges.
Republicans, including Trump, had dismissed the push for prosecution as politically motivated and had noted that not only is Trump a former president, he is seeking to retake the White House and has already announced a 2024 presidential bid.
Donald Trump Jr., took aim at Bragg on Rumble in the immediate wake of the news.
"This corrupt leftist. D.A. is indicting my father on claims that even the federal government has spent six years trying to put him in jail, even though they didn't want to touch it and yet they go forward," he said.
Trump Jr. also called it "Communist-level s---."
"This is stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot blush," he said.
Trump Jr. also issued a warning for Republicans who he thinks aren’t taking the issue seriously and didn’t think it would affect them.
TRUMP INDICTED AFTER MANHATTAN DA PROBE FOR HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS
"So let's be very clear, because there were a couple of Republicans, people who have proven themselves to be RINOs while trying to wear the MAGA cap, let's be clear for those people who said, 'It's not real, Trump's making it up, It's not a real issue for us.' If you don't think that the weaponization of the entire federal government against their political enemies, against the voters half of the country approximately as we've seen… If you don't think that's a problem, you don't even belong in any position in government, let alone president," he said.
"You know, I get you can have your sound bites and you can do your nonsense and pretend you're doing great and hire your influencers. But if you don't think that's an issue, guess what? Just wait till they come for you. Because they will."
Donald Trump Jr., speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
"We’re in a battle for our existence," he added.
Trump Jr. later took to Twitter, arguing, "This isn't just the radical left weaponizing the government to target their political enemies, this is them weaponizing the government to interfere in the 2024 election to stop Trump. The only solution is to shove it down their throats and put him back in the White House!!!"
The indictment comes after weeks of speculation over whether Trump would be indicted. The former president himself had slammed "illegal leaks" that suggested he was going to be arrested earlier this month.
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On Thursday, a statement from his attorney said Trump "is a victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system and history. He will be vindicated."
Fox News' Brooke Singman, Marta Dhanis and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
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