SALT LAKE CITY — Utah political leaders reacted to the verdict handed down by a New York jury against former President Donald Trump.
How they reacted? Depends on what side of the aisle you're on.
"I think it's frightening to see what the courts are doing to an individual, a former president of the United States. It's very selective and honestly, it's not going to hurt President Trump. I think people who understand what's going on see it as a witch hunt and he's gonna come through more popular than before," said Republican candidate for governor Phil Lyman, a staunch supporter of Trump
Lyman was also pardoned by Trump when he was in office after being convicted for his role in a protest of federal land policies in southeastern Utah.
On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Sen. Mike Lee blasted the verdict.
Sen. Mitt Romney so far has not weighed in.
Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson criticized the verdict in a statement:
Governor Spencer Cox was also critical of the verdict.
"I have consistently expressed grave concerns about these charges since the Manhattan DA filed them in March 2023. Several other prosecutors looked at the allegations and declined to prosecute because the circumstances and witnesses were deeply problematic. The DA further used a novel legal theory to turn misdemeanors into felonies. No one is above the law, but in this case I believe the indictment was a mistake and should have never been brought forward. This outcome is a dark day for our country," the governor said in a statement late Thursday.
Other GOP candidates and officeholders criticized the verdict.
"We are witnessing true lawfare. These are third world country-style tactics. Using corrupt DA's to target the leading candidate for president is likely the single greatest evidence of election fraud in my lifetime," said Trent Staggs, who was endorsed by Trump in the Utah GOP Senate race. "We can not sit still and allow this. We must stand up, especially at the ballot box. Our country is at stake. If they can do this to the former president and current front runner for president, they can do this to anyone."
Brad Wilson, the former Utah House Speaker, who is also in the Senate race, criticized the verdict.
"The verdict today makes a mockery of our criminal justice system. This trial has been a sham orchestrated for one reason: Democrats know that Joe Biden is losing. This is nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the American people’s right to decide for themselves who our next President should be," he said in a statement.
Congresswoman Celeste Maloy also weighed in:
"The justice system was weaponized in this case to keep President Trump off the ballot. This has been about politics, not law, from the beginning. I hope justice will prevail and voters won’t be deprived of the right to vote for their nominee," she said of the verdict.
But Democrats and left-leaning organizations praised the verdict. On Threads, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian King weighed in:
"No one is above the law. Former President Trump has consistently shown a blatant disregard for the law and the truth, and a jury of his peers has held him accountable for his fraudulent behavior. The verdict marks a significant development in a legal saga that does not end today, but is only beginning," said Jeff Merchant, the executive director of Alliance for a Better Utah.
"It is fair to ask candidates for higher office to hold themselves to the highest possible standards, not because, on occasion, they won’t meet those standards, but because they recognize they should constantly and consistently try to meet them. Donald Trump’s belief that the law does not apply to him violates the very foundations of our legal system and the beliefs of the Founding Fathers. Indeed, the Founding Fathers created a democracy build on the rule of law, and today the rule of law prevailed."
House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, blasted the verdict in a statement to FOX 13 News late Thursday.
"Today is a sad day for America and a sad day for democracy. From the beginning, this trial has been a calculated political move aimed at bolstering Joe Biden. Whether or not you support President Trump, what happened today is wrong and sets a bad precedent of prioritizing partisan agendas over truth, fairness, and justice. Weaponizing the judicial system for political purposes undermines the foundation of our democracy and the Constitution."
Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, expressed concern.
"The integrity and fairness of our legal and judicial proceedings are the cornerstones of democracy. Bias and political interference overshadowed his court case, raising serious concerns about the impartiality and legitimacy of the proceedings. As a nation, it is essential we must safeguard our judicial system from political motivations to maintain public trust and uphold justice," he said.
This verdict could change the political climate here in Utah, and we could see more division as people mobilize in support of, or against Trump, said Jason Perry, Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics.
“Those dividing lines are going to becoming even wider,” he said. “More polarization will happen. People are going to have to try to explain or defend where they are based on these verdicts and it's going to be very difficult.”
Many Utahns might be reconsidering how they’re going to vote this November, said Perry.
“I think that we're going to see a lot of people not looking at this as a happy day, but a day that makes us really kind of look at our system itself.”
