NASHVILLE — Republican U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee as well as other GOP lawmakers from Tennessee and Georgia condemned the indictment of former President Donald Trump on felony charges that he sought to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the later riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Some Democrats pushed back.
Trump's political action committee Make America Great Again Inc. released the comments of a number of U.S. senators and representatives criticizing the indictment, which was expected. They included:
— Hagerty: "As this latest abuse of power shows, Joe Biden will do anything to distract from the Biden corruption investigation and his failures as president. Americans deserve better, and they will have the last word on who leads our country."
— Blackburn: "The news of another indictment against President Trump is no shock ahead of 2024. The left knows they can't beat Trump amid Biden's failures, so they're trying to take him out with criminal charges. Biden's abusing two tiers of justice to target his greatest political opponent."
— Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Southeast Tennessee: "The same DOJ that has done everything to distract from the investigation into corruption by President Biden and his family is yet again trying to persecute President Trump. The double standard is outrageous. Americans will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice."
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Northwest Georgia.: "The politicized and weaponized DOJ is now committing election interference with this outrageous conspiracy theory set in motion to persecute President Trump and many innocent people."
Democrats weighed in as well:
— Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis: "Trump was indicted for lying about the election, spurring his minions to attack the US Capitol on the same day the Electoral College met (#January6th), and for trying to overthrow our government," he wrote on social media. "He violated the #Constitution and the law of the land. #NoOneisAbovetheLaw."
In a second post, Cohen called the U.S. Justice Department's special counsel, Jack Smith, a "hero."
Not everyone was commenting. Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., had said nothing publicly about the indictment as of mid-Tuesday evening. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Marietta Georgia Democrat, and Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, had also remained silent.
— Compiled by Andy Sher