纽约市大陪审团起诉前总统唐纳德·特朗普是历史性的-很快被他驳回出于政治动机的迫害现在他党内的反对者也加入进来。
知情人士周四告诉美国广播公司新闻，特朗普被起诉，预计将于下周早些时候自首。
尽管曼哈顿地区检察官阿尔文·布拉格(Alvin Bragg)一直在调查他，但对他的指控还不清楚，起诉书仍处于密封状态关于付给成人电影明星斯托米·丹尼尔斯的钱在2016年竞选的最后几天，阻止丹尼尔斯公开声称他否认的婚外情。
国会共和党人迅速站出来为特朗普辩护消息传出后，许多人附和他的观点，认为布拉格的行为是党派性的。
特朗普在2024年共和党总统候选人提名中的一些确认或潜在竞争对手也发表了意见。
在周四晚些时候接受美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)采访时，迈克·彭斯称之为“暴行”，认为针对特朗普的案件“站不住脚”，只会“进一步分裂我们的国家”
“在数百万美国人看来，这只不过是一场政治诉讼，”彭斯在美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)上说，他曾担任特朗普的副总统，正在权衡自己的2024年竞选。他接着说，这“违背”了法律下公平和平等对待的理念。
在主持人沃尔夫·布利泽的压力下，彭斯说“没有人可以凌驾于法律之上，包括前总统...美国人民知道这一点。”但是他坚持认为这个案子是不同的。
他拒绝透露如果特朗普被判有罪，他是否应该被取消资格或退出2024年的竞选，但他也表示，“没有理由呼吁人们抗议”这一指控，尽管特朗普另有声明。
他还表示，“双方都有严厉的语言”，这是“不可接受的”
彭斯表示，这一事态发展对他明年是否会寻求共和党点头“没有影响”，并将此事比作新闻媒体对特朗普“痴迷”的一个例子，而在他自己的全国旅行中，与拜登政府的“失败政策”相比，“没有一个人提出这个问题”。
他的反应得到了已经参加白宫竞选的其他主要保守派的认同，以及那些可能加入的人的认同。
“这与其说是正义，不如说是复仇，”前南卡罗莱纳州州长妮基·黑利说发微博起诉后不久。哈利在二月中旬宣布了她的总统候选人资格。
她的推文附有一段之前在福克斯新闻频道露面的视频，她声称Bragg正在寻求获得“政治积分”
“我认为，这个国家谈论美国公众关心的事情会比坐在那里，不得不应对纽约政界人士的一些政治报复更好，”她当时说。
被视为潜在共和党总统候选人的南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特(Tim Scott)在自己的反应中认为，布拉格“未能维护针对暴力罪犯的法律，却将法律武器化以对付政治敌人。”
“这是一场闹剧，不应该发生在地球上最伟大的国家。无罪推定是我们法律体系的核心，然而今天却被那些极左派选择性地抛弃了，”斯科特说。
特朗普的前国务卿迈克·蓬佩奥曾表示，他正在考虑总统竞选，他周四在推特上说，“起诉严重罪行让美国人安全，但政治起诉让美国法律体系面临被视为滥用工具的风险。达·布拉格——花纳税人的钱和精力保护守法公民。不是玩政治。"
另一位共和党总统候选人、商人维维克·拉马斯瓦米(Vivek Ramaswamy)在推特视频中发布了他的反应。
“这是不对的。这很危险，”他说。"作为一个国家，我们现在如履薄冰。"
消息人士告诉美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)预计将在未来几个月发起总统竞选的佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯(Ron DeSantis)在推特上说，起诉书是“非美国的”和“法律系统的武器化”。
他写道，佛罗里达州将“不会协助引渡请求。”
阿肯色州州长阿萨·哈钦森(Asa Hutchinson)也被认为是2024年的可能竞争者，他称这是“美国黑暗的一天”，但表示纽约市陪审团肯定找到了支持这一前所未有的举动的证据。
哈钦森在一份声明中说，“尽管大陪审团发现了支持指控的可信事实，但特朗普先生必须遵循无罪推定原则，这一点很重要。”。“我们需要等待事实，等待我们的美国司法系统像每天对数以千计的美国人一样发挥作用。”
布拉格办公室的一名发言人周四表示:“今天晚上，我们联系了特朗普的律师，以协调他向曼哈顿地方检察官办公室自首，接受最高法院起诉书的传讯，该起诉书仍处于密封状态。当提审日期选定时，将提供指导。"
Trump indictment: Pence, DeSantis and more confirmed or potential 2024 rivals react
Former President Donald Trump's indictment by a New York City grand jurywas historic-- and quickly dismissed by him aspolitically motivated persecution-- and now opponents in his party are weighing in.
Trump was indicted and is expected to surrender early next week, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Thursday.
The charge or charges against him are not yet known while the indictment remains under seal, though he has been under investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggover money paid to adult film star Stormy Danielsin the final days of the 2016 campaign, to keep Daniels from going public with a claim of an affair that he denies.
Congressional Republicansquickly came to Trump's defenseafter the news broke, with many echoing his view that Bragg's actions are partisan.
Some of Trump's confirmed or prospective rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination also spoke out.
In an interview with CNN later Thursday, Mike Pence called it an "outrage," arguing that the case against Trump is "tenuous" and will "only further serve to divide our country."
"It appears to millions of Americans to be nothing more than a political prosecution," Pence, who served as Trump's vice president and is weighing his own 2024 bid, said on CNN. He went on to say it "offends" the ideals of fair and equal treatment under the law.
Pressed by anchor Wolf Blitzer, Pence said that "no one is above the law, including former presidents ... and the American people know this." But he maintained that this case was different.
He declined to say if Trump should be disqualified or drop out of the 2024 race if he is convicted but also said that there is "no reason for calling for people to be protesting" the indictment, despite Trump's statements otherwise.
He also said there was "harsh language on either side" that was "unacceptable."
Pence said that the development had "no bearing" on whether he will seek the GOP nod next year himself and likened the matter to an example of the news media's "obsession" with Trump while, in his own travels across the country, "Not one person raised this issue" compared with the Biden administration's "failed policies."
His reaction was shared by other leading conservatives already in the White House race -- and those who might join.
"This is more about revenge than it is justice," former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleytweetedshortly after the indictment. Haley announced her presidential candidacy in mid-February.
Attached to her tweet was a video of a previous appearance on Fox News, in which she alleged Bragg was looking to score "political points."
"I think the country would be better off talking about things that the American public cares about than to sit there and have to deal with some political revenge by political people in New York," she said at the time.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is seen as a potential Republican presidential candidate, argued in his own reaction that Bragg "has failed to uphold the law for violent criminals, yet weaponized the law against political enemies."
"This is a travesty and it should not be happening in the greatest country on Earth. The presumption of innocence is central to our legal system, yet is selectively discarded by those on the far left today," Scott said.
Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has said he is weighing a presidential campaign, tweeted Thursday that "prosecuting serious crimes keeps Americans safe, but political prosecutions put the American legal system at risk of being viewed as a tool for abuse. DA Bragg – spend taxpayers' money and your energy protecting law-abiding citizens. Not playing politics."
Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman and another Republican candidate for president, posted his reaction in a Twitter video.
"This is wrong. This is dangerous," he said. "We are skating on thin ice as a country right now."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom sources have told ABC News is expected to launch a presidential campaign in the coming months, tweeted that the indictment was "un-American" and "a weaponization of the legal system."
Florida, he wrote, would "not assist in an extradition request."
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also considered a possible 2024 contender, called it a "dark day for America" but said the New York City jury must have found evidence to support the unprecedented move.
"While the grand jury found credible facts to support the charges, it is important that the presumption of innocence follows Mr. Trump," Hutchinson said a statement. "We need to wait on the facts and for our American system of justice to work like it does for thousands of Americans every day."
A spokesperson for Bragg's office said Thursday: "This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."
