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Politicians across New England are reacting after former President Donald Trump was convicted Thursday of falsifying business records to hide paying hush money to a porn star before the 2016 election. While the character of those reactions has largely followed predictable partisan lines, one statement from Maine Senator Susan Collins is drawing particular ire.
Collins, a moderate who was one in all only seven Republican senators to Voted In a press release to The Hill, prosecutors criticized the choice to question Trump for inciting an rebel on the U.S. Capitol after January 6.
The charges were brought “precisely based on the person of the defendant and not on any specific criminal conduct,” Collins said within the statement.
At the top of March, Collins told the local news channel WGME that she wouldn’t vote for Trump in November. This calculation was based on her feelings about Trump's role within the events of January 6, she said, but clarified that she wouldn’t support President Joe Biden either.
After Trump’s acquittal in 2021 Collins spoken She spoke for 16 minutes about why she voted for his conviction. Trump abused his power and broke his oath of office by opposing the peaceful transfer of power, she said on the time.
Collins' contradictory messages were the topic of an editorial in Friday. Many voters would have been satisfied with remaining silent on the hush money ruling, others would have liked her to support the court case. Instead, in line with the editorial team, Collins acted “shamelessly.”
“Where is the courage to stand back from the ever-thickening fog of criminality that surrounds Trump, from the repeated threats to undermine our country's institutions, processes and norms? Where is the political fearlessness? Where is the trust that the editorial board would like to believe would be rewarded at the ballot box?” the editorial board wrote.
In an article published after the decision Author Charles P. Pierce called Collins' statement “the most disgusting and fascinating response of all.” Tom Nichols, editor at , condemned the erosion of moderate Republican politics in favor of subservience to Trump. Her response was a “good reminder” of why Collins “was, for me, the straw that broke the camel's back that finally abandoned the Republicans,” he said. wrote on social media.
Other members of Maine's congressional delegation criticized Trump and praised the jury. Senator Angus King, an independent, emphasized in a press release to The hill. Democratic Congressman. Chellie Pingree said on social media that Trump had a good trial and that the decision “represents a moment to have some faith in our democracy.”
In Massachusetts, Democrats joined Pingree.
Representative. Catherine Clarkthe second-highest Democrat within the House, said the jury had upheld the rule of law and that Americans “deserve so much better” than Trump.
Representative. Ayanna Pressley said that “accountability is welcome and long overdue” as Trump “has been deceiving people, causing harm and evading legal accountability for decades.”
Representative. Seth Moulton called Thursday a “sad day in American politics,” but said the decision was indicative of how a healthy democracy should work. He called on his Republican colleagues to denounce Trump.
“Patriotism does not mean parroting a man who would just as easily destroy the foundations of our democracy for his own personal gain,” he wrote in a press release posted on social media.
Representative. Richard Neal said there was “no manipulation” in the method and that “the justice system worked as our founding fathers intended.”
Others were much more succinct. “No one is above the law,” said Rep. Lori Trahan said. “Equal justice before the law,” said Attorney General Andrea Campbell said.
Senator Ed Markey simply Posted an image of former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz in his number 34 jersey, a cheeky reference to the 34 counts of which Trump was found guilty.
MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale, nonetheless, said she was “disheartened by the outcome of his political impeachment.” The verdict “marks a troubling moment for the integrity of the American justice system,” she added in a press release posted on social media.
image credit : www.boston.com