Former President Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be federally indicted on June 8 in Miami. The grand jury charged Trump with 37 federal crimes in connection to his alleged possession of classified federal documents that he was supposed to return at the end of his term. Trump pleaded not guilty to every charge on Tuesday.
“Former President Donald Trump’s theft of classified government documents is the latest example of his brazen willingness to hurt our national security. Any American who abuses classified information, putting American lives in danger, should be held accountable. No one is above the law, not even a former president.”
— Melanie Stansbury – U.S. Rep. (1st Congressional District)
“Equal justice under the law must always mean that no one is above the law, not even a former president. Like all defendants, the former president has the right to a fair trial. The rule of law is essential to who we are as Americans. We must respect the legal process and allow it to play out without political interference.”
—Teresa Ledger Fernandez (D) – U.S. Rep. District 3 (statement released by her office April 4)
“What is most important in this case, and in the matter of the very foundations of our democracy, is that the rule of law prevails. I wholeheartedly believe in our rule of law to uphold what keeps us all honest and faithful and make strides in bending of arc toward justice. For me, to get to this stage of what is totally unprecedented, is a solid representation that no one is above the law.”
—Andrea Romero (D) – N.M. Rep. District 46
“It’s a banana republic. Biden’s guilty of the same thing. He had documents and started in his garage. I’m not saying I’m a Trump supporter or not. I’m not saying I’m a Biden supporter or not. But this is a total banana republic act. Biden wasn’t even the president. He had no right to even have some of this stuff. I’m very upset about this. This is how we lose our country. Period. My message is ‘let the people speak,’ and they do it through the ballet box.”
—Jay Groseclose (R) – Lost N.M. Rep. District 46
“My reaction to Trump’s latest indictment: I am proud of the Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith for conducting a thorough and complete investigation. This man is a top notch investigator. He waited to file the indictment until the right time regardless of all of us impatient ones urging him to hurry up. Trump has been let off the hook too many times because of sloppy or incomplete investigations. This indictment with it’s 37 charges based in the law will put him in jail if the judge and jury follow the laws on which the charges are based. I hope beyond hope that Trump is held accountable on all counts. I will add that I want Congress to develop and pass an amendment that prevents a convicted felon from running for or serving as President of the United States whether or not Trump is convicted. This may be the first time a person like Trump has served as our President, but it won’t be the last and this loop hole must be closed. Regardless of political party, there are unfit citizens that may want to serve as our President and the Constitution needs to recognize that fact and be amended to say so.”
—Ann Cunningham, Abiquiu, NM (Facebook comment)
“No one is above the law, not even a former President. This indictment is a matter for the courts and not Congress.”
—Senator Martin Heinrich