Several South Florida politicians weigh in on Trump's latest indictment
MIAMI - For a third time, former President Donald Trump has been indicted.
On Tuesday, he was charged in Washington over his efforts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Trump in the election case, has also charged Trump in federal court with the illegal retention of top secret documents. In New York, Trump faces criminal charges in a hush money case and a civil trial over his business practices.
Trump, a Republican, has denied any wrongdoing and says he is being targeted by Democrats trying to keep him from reclaiming the presidency.
He posted on Truth Social that "THIS UNPRECEDENTED INDICTMENT OF A FORMER (HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL!) PRESIDENT...HAS AWOKEN THE WORLD TO THE CORRUPTION, SCANDAL, & FAILURE" that has taken place in the U.S. for the last three years.
Several South Florida Democratic politicians have weighed in on the latest indictment.
"Donald Trump's Big Lie involved a violent, deadly plot to overturn the legitimate outcome of a presidential election, subvert the will of the American people and overthrow our democracy. Of all his alleged crimes, this indictment is the most grave and demands adherence to America's guiding principle that no one, including the president, stands above our laws. For now, it is critical that a fair legal process unfold without interference," said US Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in a statement.
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson said in a statement that "The cornerstone of our democracy is the sacred right of every American citizen to cast their vote and have it count. We witnessed an unprecedented assault on this fundamental principle by former President Trump- the now thrice indicted, twice impeached, sued, insurrection inciter. No one is above the law."
"Trump's attempt to subvert the will of millions of voters cannot be ignored. I'm grateful our Justice Department is holding him responsible for trying to undermine the very bedrock of our democracy," she added.
Wilson concluded by saying "Justice will be served."
Democratic US Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement that this third indictment signifies that the rule of law must "remain sacred for our democracy to function."
"Special exceptions can never apply. The former president is certainly entitled to due process, no different than any other American, but we can never make light of the fact that Donald Trump attempted to overturn the will of the American people. Those who orchestrated and laid the groundwork for this shameless attack on democracy deserve to be held firmly accountable," she wrote.
Republican US Senator Rick Scott came to the former president's defense by deflecting.
So far, Republican US Senator Marco Rubio has not commented on the indictment on social media.
Republican US Rep. Matt Gaetz came to the former president's defense and posted on Twitter that "Jack Smith and his indictment will forever go down in history as a total disgrace to the United States of America. President Trump defended our democracy, and we have an obligation to defend him against the Deep State's crusade to destroy our movement."
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running against Trump for the presidency, posted on social media about the "weaponization" of the federal government when referring to the indictment. And while not referring to Trump by name, he said he doesn't believe the former president, an others, can get a fair trial in Washington D.C.
