McConnell silent on Trump's indictment as House GOP leaders slam 'weaponized' justice system

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said thing astir former President Donald Trump's indictment this week, adjacent arsenic respective House Republicans person condemned the charges arsenic politically motivated.

Since Trump's indictment was reported Thursday, McConnell has issued nary nationalist statements connected Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's transgression lawsuit against the erstwhile president and starring Republican 2024 candidate. Neither has Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the No. 2 Republican successful the Senate.

McConnell's bureau told Fox News Digital that it did not person a remark arsenic of Friday. Thune's bureau did not respond to a petition for comment.

McConnell and Trump are not connected bully terms — McConnell said successful December that Trump is "diminished" and blamed the erstwhile president for the GOP's disappointing show successful the 2022 midterm elections. Trump, who holds a grudge against the Senate GOP person for refusing to spell on with his claims that the 2020 predetermination was stolen, called McConnell a "tremendous liability for the Republican Party" successful an interrogation with Fox News.

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Mitch McConnell's bureau indicated that it did not presently person a connection connected erstwhile President Donald Trump's indictment. (Getty Images)

McConnell's soundlessness stands successful stark opposition to his counterpart successful the House of Representatives. After quality of the indictment broke, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., slammed Bragg and said that helium "has irreparably damaged our state successful an effort to interfere successful our Presidential election."

"As helium routinely frees convulsive criminals to terrorize the public, helium weaponized our ineffable strategy of justness against President Donald Trump," McCarthy said of Bragg. "The American radical volition not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives volition clasp Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented maltreatment of powerfulness to account."

McCarthy's lieutenant, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called the indictment a "sham" and accused "extremist Democrats" of "weaponizing authorities to onslaught their governmental opponents."

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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg exits Manhattan Criminal Court successful New York connected Friday. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

The criminal charges against Trump came aft a years-long probe into payments made to big movie prima Stormy Daniels and erstwhile Playboy exemplary Karen McDougal successful 2016 allegedly to support them rather astir their erstwhile affairs with Trump portion helium was moving for president.

Trump has denied the affairs and immoderate wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors successful the Southern District of New York opted retired of charging Trump related to the Daniels outgo successful 2019.

The Federal Election Commission besides tossed its probe into the substance successful 2021.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and different Republicans sent a missive to Bragg past week demanding that helium crook implicit documents related to his Trump probe and attest earlier Congress, asserting that the DA's investigation indispensable beryllium politically motivated.

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Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., has declined to remark truthful acold connected erstwhile President Donald Trump's indictment. (REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy)

Bragg's bureau blasted backmost Friday, accusing the House lawmakers of "unlawful governmental interference" successful an ongoing transgression case.

While McConnell and Thune person said thing truthful far, different Senate GOP leaders person spoken retired against the indictment. The No. 3 Republican, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wy., called it a "politically motivated prosecution by a far-left activist."

"If it was anyone different than President Trump, a lawsuit similar this would ne'er beryllium brought. Instead of ordering governmental deed jobs, New York prosecutors should absorption connected getting convulsive criminals disconnected the street," Barrasso said successful a connection to Fox News Digital.

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Republican Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., each gave akin statements.

Trump is expected to beryllium arraigned successful a Manhattan court connected Tuesday, a instrumentality enforcement root told Fox News. Sources acquainted accidental Trump volition surrender himself and beryllium taken into custody without handcuffs. Detectives with Bragg's bureau volition grip the arrest.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Marta Dhanis contributed to this report.