Dems who accused Trump of trying to jail opponents voice support for Trump grand jury indictment

Some House Democrats who antecedently condemned erstwhile President Donald Trump for threatening to jailhouse governmental opponents had a antithetic absorption aft a Manhattan expansive jury's determination to bring transgression charges against the starring Republican statesmanlike candidate.

"Threatening to jailhouse governmental opponents is thing despots do. This is unsafe and beneath our large country," Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the House Minority Whip, said connected Twitter during an October 2016 statesmanlike statement betwixt Trump and erstwhile Democratic statesmanlike nominee Hillary Clinton.

At the clip Clark made her comments, Clinton was embroiled successful an email ungraded that threatened to derail her candidacy. Trump leaned hard into the ungraded successful the closing weeks of the campaign, with the operation "lock her up" becoming a communal rallying outcry astatine galore Trump run events.

But Clark has indicated nary specified issues pursuing Trump's indictment, saying successful a Thursday connection "no 1 is supra the law" and that the process indispensable proceed "unimpeded and escaped from" governmental interference. 

TRUMP SURRENDER DELAYED AFTER MANHATTAN DA INDICTMENT DUE TO SECRET SERVICE INVOLVEMENT: SOURCE

Frome near to right: Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill. (Anna Moneymaker, Tom Williams and Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc,)

"Fundamental to the spot and endurance of ideology is the rule that nary 1 is supra the instrumentality – including a erstwhile President of the United States," Clark said. "We indispensable let the judicial process to proceed unimpeded and escaped from immoderate signifier of governmental interference oregon intimidation. This is not a clip for partisanship, but for each Americans to enactment peacefully and enactment their religion successful the justness system."

"Core to our ideology is the regularisation of law," Clark tweeted earlier this month. "And yet the erstwhile president is calling for unit and the Speaker of the House is coming to his defense. This utmost behaviour is unsafe and unpatriotic."

After a years-long probe from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, a Manhattan expansive assemblage voted Thursday to indict Trump. The nonstop charges of the indictment are inactive nether seal, but Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said Thursday evening Trump could look much than 30 counts adjacent week erstwhile he’s arraigned.

In August 2018, erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shared a punctuation from a New York Times nonfiction that warned Trump would crook "authoritarian" if Republicans were capable to triumph that year's midterm elections.

Pelosi, a Democrat from California, speaks during a quality league astatine the US Capitol successful Washington, DC, connected Dec. 22, 2022. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"If Republicans clasp some houses of Congress this November, Trump volition spell afloat authoritarian, abusing institutions similar the I.R.S., trying to jailhouse opponents and journalists… and he’ll bash it with afloat enactment from his party," work the quote, which Pelosi shared connected Twitter.

But aft quality of the Trump indictment, Pelosi shifted her tone, suggesting that successful a connection that her governmental hostile Trump would person to "prove" his innocence successful tribunal and that "no 1 is supra the law."

"The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law," Pelosi said. "No 1 is supra the law, and everyone has the close to a proceedings to beryllium innocence. Hopefully, the erstwhile President volition peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right."

Many criticized Pelosi's claim that Trump has the close to a proceedings "to beryllium innocence." A cardinal main of the justness strategy successful the United States is that immoderate idiosyncratic accused of a transgression is presumed guiltless until proven blameworthy beyond a tenable uncertainty successful a tribunal of law.

NANCY PELOSI ROASTED OVER TRUMP INDICTMENT TWEET SAYING HE HAS A RIGHT ‘TO PROVE INNOCENCE’ AT TRIAL

Pelosi precocious lashed retired astatine Trump's societal media posts astir the anticipation of being arrested, calling the erstwhile president "reckless" and accusing him of fomenting "unrest."

Like Pelosi, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., shared the aforesaid New York Times nonfiction successful August 2018. Casten precocious took purpose astatine House Speaker Kevin McCarty for opposing the indictment of Trump, arguing McCarthy should "treat [his] occupation with the dignity it deserves" successful a station connected Twitter.

Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., listens during a House Financial Services Committee proceeding connected December 13, 2022, successful Washington, DC. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

"This is transparent governmental hackery unbefitting of the Speaker of the House," Casten said earlier this period successful effect to McCarthy. "You don't what the charges are but you cognize precisely what unit helium is susceptible of erstwhile helium tin number connected radical similar you to cower alternatively than act."

Following the indictment of Trump, Casten enactment retired a 1 connection absorption connected Twitter: "Boom."

Casten took further purpose astatine McCarthy successful a followup tweet connected Thursday aft the talker claimed Bragg "has irreparably damaged our state successful an effort to interfere successful our Presidential election."

"You cognize thing astir the charges. But convey you for reminding america of your unredeemable cowardice," Casten wrote.

Casten, who has represented Illinois successful the House since 2019, besides took purpose astatine the Republican Party successful a separate tweet, saying helium wouldn't person been elected if Republicans "had enactment state implicit Trump successful 2016."

"I person not yet work the indictment. But I ne'er would person ended up successful this occupation if anyone of immoderate powerfulness successful the @GOP had enactment state implicit Trump successful 2016," helium wrote. "Their continuing obsequious, ignorant cowardice contiguous disgusts me. And I'm gladsome bully radical stood up adjacent arsenic they sat."

Like Clark, Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., was besides captious of Trump's rhetoric during the October 2016 debate with Hillary Clinton, taking to Twitter to stock a punctuation from Jefferson Smith, a erstwhile Oregon lawmaker, successful evident daze of Trump's remarks.

"A antheral moving for president threatened to enactment his governmental opponents successful jail," work the punctuation Hoyle shared astatine the time.

"Yep. That conscionable happened," Hoyle said successful notation to remarks made by Trump.

TRUMP ATTORNEY, TOP LEGAL EXPERTS REACT TO INDICTMENT: 'THE RULE OF LAW HAS DIED'

But Hoyle has gone soundless pursuing the indictment of Trump. As of Friday, Hoyle has yet to remark connected the substance via societal media oregon done a property merchandise connected her website.

Hoyle's bureau did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital astir the indictment.

Another salient House Democrat, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, was besides captious of Trump's calls to jailhouse Clinton pursuing the 2016 election, arguing that specified rhetoric threatened to marque the U.S. a "banana republic."

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks astatine a property league connected astatine the U.S. Capitol Building connected January 25, 2023, successful Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"Glad he's not making america a banana republic by jailing foes," Swalwell said of Trump successful November 2016, adding that helium was inactive "angry" Trump "lied truthful blatantly connected this & different things to win."

However, aft the Trump indictment was revealed Thursday, Swalwell did not denounce the decision, but said it marked a "somber day" successful America and that Trump "deserves each extortion provided to him" by law.

"The indictment of a erstwhile president is simply a somber time for America," Swalwell wrote successful a tweet. "It’s besides a clip to enactment religion successful our judicial system. Donald Trump deserves each extortion provided to him by the Constitution. As that unfolds, fto america neither observe nor destroy. Justice benefits america all."

In caller weeks, Swalwell targeted McCarthy for the speaker's evident deficiency of enactment for an indictment of Trump.

"The feline who created a committee to look into ‘weaponization of government’ is utilizing his powers successful authorities to halt an autarkic prosecution of his boss," Swalwell said of McCarthy connected Twitter earlier this month.

Bragg requested that Trump surrender to his bureau Friday, but a root acquainted told Fox News Digital that timeline was extended owed to arrangements needed to beryllium made by Secret Service. The root told Fox News Digital Trump volition "most likely" surrender connected Tuesday.

The indictment of the Trump comes aft Bragg has been investigating Trump for hush wealth payments made starring up to the 2016 statesmanlike election. These see the $130,000 outgo made to big movie histrion Stormy Daniels, and the $150,000 outgo made to erstwhile Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Former President Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan expansive assemblage aft a years-long probe by the bureau of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Fox News reported and revealed successful 2018 a bid of hush money payments made to some McDougal and Daniels, and the U.S. Attorney's Office successful the Southern District of New York and the Federal Election Commission some investigated those payments.

Federal prosecutors successful the Southern District of New York opted retired of charging Trump related to the Daniels outgo successful 2019, adjacent arsenic Michael Cohen, a erstwhile Trump attorney, implicated him arsenic portion of his plea deal. The Federal Election Commission besides tossed its probe into the substance successful 2021.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this article.