Trump plans to turn himself in to Manhattan DA early next week

D.A. Bragg has left his office

Bragg left his office just before 7:15 p.m.

Greene defends Trump as ‘innocent’ says ‘gloves are off’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent ally of the former president, doggedly defended him on Twitter.

“My President is innocent and the only one standing in the way of these modern day tyrants, just like our founding fathers did, to protect each of us from evil,” Greene wrote. Minutes later, she added, “Our side chants ‘lock her up’ and their side is going to get a mug shot based on a witch hunt. It’s time to change that. Gloves are off.”

NBC News reported in January that the second-term Georgia Republican is angling to be Trump’s running mate in 2024.

McCarthy says Manhattan D.A. ‘irreparably damaged’ the country

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “irreparably damaged” the country “in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election” after a grand jury indicted the former president.

“As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump,” the California Republican said on Twitter.

“The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” McCarthy said.

Ron DeSantis slams Trump indictment as a ‘weaponization of the legal system’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely opponent of Trump’s for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said his state will not assist in an extradition request if one is made for the former president.

“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head,” DeSantis wrote in a tweet. “It is un-American.”

DeSantis accused Manhattan district attorney of “stretching the law” to target a political opponent.

“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” DeSantis said.

Stormy Daniels was horseback riding when she heard indictment news, lawyer says

Stormy Daniels’ attorney Clark Brewster told NBC News that his client was horseback riding when the news of Trump’s indictment broke — came inside — and was totally surprised to see the news.

Trump expected to surrender to DA early next week, lawyer says

Former president Trump is expected to surrender to the Manhattan DA’s office early next week, his attorney Joe Tacopina told NBC News.

Two sources familiar with the situation also told NBC News that Trump’s attorneys are already in touch with prosecutors and expect him to be arraigned next week.

Possible Trump primary rival Asa Hutchinson: ‘A dark day’

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who has been at odds with Trump and is considering seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, said it is “a dark day for America when a former president is indicted on criminal charges.”

“While the grand jury found credible facts to support the charges, it is important that the presumption of innocence follows Mr. Trump,” Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor, added in 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.”

Hutchinson concluded by emphasizing that he believes “the decision on America’s next President [should] be made at the ballot box and not in the court system.”

“Donald Trump should not be the next president,” Hutchinson said, “but that should be decided by the voters.” 

Trump refers to his indictment as ‘an attack on our country’

In a post on his social media platform, Trump lashed out at “thugs and radical left monsters” involved in the probe, insisting that they were targeting him as the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

“THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!”

Trump sought to paint the probe as a new form of election interference this week on Fox News.

Trump, who has maintained that the payment to Daniels was not a campaign contribution, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday that Bragg’s probe was an effort to cheat in elections by his opponents. “It’s called election interference,” he said.

Moderate GOP Rep. Don Bacon isn’t rushing to Trump’s defense

Moderate Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., is not rushing to Trump’s defense.

“I trust our legal system,” he told NBC News. “There’s checks and balances with a jury, judges and appeals. President Trump will be able to make his defense and we’ll all see if this is a partisan prosecution or not.”

Here’s how Donald Trump, Jr. found out about the indictment

On his Rumble show, “Triggered with Don Jr.,” the former president’s son talked about how he heard about the indictment.

“I found out about this about 15 minutes before I went live,” he said, adding, “I was literally getting in my car to drive to an event … and when like my phone starts blowing up and I’m like, ‘Oh crap.’ So I don’t even know what it means yet.”

“They got him now and they’ll do this and they’ll get their show trial or whatever,” he continued, “at least the show perp walk or that’s what they’ll try.”

Stormy Daniels, at center of case, acknowledges Trump indictment

Adult film star Stormy Daniels, at the center of the hush money case, acknowledged the indictment of Trump by retweeting her lawyer on Twitter, saying, “Thank you.”

Kari Lake says indictment ‘only strengthens our resolve to fight’

Arizona Republican Kari Lake responded to Trump’s indictment with three tweets Thursday, saying the news would make Trump “stronger.”

“I didn’t think I could possibly support him more, but this political Witch Hunt only strengthens our resolve to fight,” she tweeted.

Lake vigorously promoted Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election during her failed 2022 campaign for Arizona governor, and went on to make claims of election fraud after her own defeat.

She echoed the false claims in her tweets Thursday.

“The Radical Left and their weaponized criminal justice system have crossed all legal & ethical lines in an attempt to destroy the 45th & 47th President of the United State of America Donald J. Trump,” she tweeted.