Every member of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to former President Donald Trump being found guilty by a Manhattan jury on all 34 counts in the falsification of business records linked to the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal on Thursday.
Thursday’s verdict marks the first time in history that a U.S. president has been convicted of a felony.
Following the verdict, Trump spoke briefly outside the courtroom, saying, “It was a rigged trial, it was a disgrace. The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people. They know what happened here. I am a very innocent man.”
Tennessee’s 10Republican members of its congressional delegation largely echoed Trump’s thoughts in statements released shortly after the verdict was read.
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), for example, called Thursday a “heartbreaking day for our beloved nation.”
“The conviction of President Trump is an absolute travesty and a stain on our justice system. This verdict is not just an attack on President Trump; it is an attack on every American who believes in fairness and justice,” Harshbarger said. “The Biden administration and the radical left have crossed a line. They have weaponized our legal system in a desperate attempt to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House. This is not justice; this is political persecution. It’s clear election interference, plain and simple. I stand with President Trump and all true American Patriots who know he did nothing wrong. We will not let this injustice stand. We will fight to restore justice, and President Trump will be back, stronger than ever.”
Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said that while he was “not surprised” at the verdict, he was “more than disappointed.”
“This was in a deep blue state, the statute of limitations was changed, and they turned a misdemeanor into a felony to keep him off the campaign trail. We’ll wait on an appeal but this is not the America we once knew,” Burchett added.
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) agreed, saying that Thursday’s verdict was the “foreordained outcome of a biased and politically motivated prosecution against President Trump that should have never been brought to trial to begin with.”
“The lawfare and two-tiered system of justice waged against Donald Trump by Biden’s corrupt DOJ and Far Left political prosecutors is a travesty of justice and undermines faith in our justice system,” Fleischmann added. “The American People will return the real verdict at the ballot box in November when we re-elect President Trump again as the President of the United States.”
Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) simply said, “The New York Courts continue to pursue cases and reach predetermined verdicts that would never be charged and tried with any other citizen. This is political warfare that continues to frustrate and anger so many voters across this country and will likely only serve to solidify and embolden Donald Trump’s supporters.”
Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) added, “Biden and his Democrat cohorts have officially made a mockery of our courts. What an embarrassment.”
“This disgusting and unprecedented weaponization of the justice system is appalling,” Ogles said.
Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) commented on Thursday’s verdict, saying, “As an attorney, I can tell you that today will be among the more infamous in American history. These so-called charges were considered nearly a decade ago and prosecutors decided there was no case. Today proves prosecution in search of a crime works in certain corners of the country.”
“For those not convinced this is political rather than legal, consider the entire basis for this verdict is the testimony of a convicted felon who stole money from the Trump organization,” Rose added. “The Biden presidency can be summed up with two words: executive overreach. Today’s verdict simply underscores that fact. I look forward to President Trump’s successful appeal. The first step in restoring public trust will come when Donald Trump is re-elected this fall.”
Congressman Mark Green (R-TN-07) called Thursday a “sad day for America,” adding, “The only reason radical Democrats launched a politically motivated prosecution against a former president was to affect the results of the upcoming election.”
“This verdict is a disgrace. From spurious charges to an openly biased judge, the trial was a sham from the start. President Trump will appeal this verdict. The American people see this trial for what it is—a political stunt. The verdict is further evidence that the radical left will stop at nothing to crush their political opponents,” Green added. “President Trump’s record in the White House speaks for itself: economic prosperity, respect for law and order, and stability in the Middle East. Despite attempts to taint his legacy, the American people aren’t blind to how much better off they were under the Trump administration.”
Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN-08) also called Thursday a “sad day” for our “democracy,” adding, “President Donald Trump’s conviction today is a manufactured distraction from the 2024 election.”
“There is no doubt that this has been a partisan process every step of the way. Our nation should be concerned with the two-tiered, partisan system of justice that we have all witnessed in New York,” Kustoff said.
Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) also condemned Trump’s guilty verdict, with Hagerty calling Thursday a “dark day for American democracy.”
“Americans deserve a President whose idea of justice is safer communities and secure borders, not weaponizing the justice system against the opposing candidate to distract them from his failed record,” Hagerty added.
In a video message, Blackburn agreed with Hagerty that Trump’s Manhattan trial was a “weaponization of our judicial system,” adding that Thursday’s verdict was a “complete miscarriage of justice.”
“The American people are standing up against this. We all should stand with and back President Donald Trump for President of the United States. Be sure you’re voting November 5 if you’re sick of seeing this weaponization. If they’ve done it to him, they can do it to you,” Blackburn added.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s sole Democrat congressional member, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), applauded Thursday’s verdict, saying, “The rule of law, which the United States is founded upon, shone bright today. In America, no one is above the law.”
Other notable elected officials from Tennessee who spoke out in response to Thursday’s verdict include Governor Bill Lee, who said, “A politicized justice system does nothing to serve the American people. Voters in Tennessee and across the country recognize this verdict for what it is — a political attack — and they’ll bring a change on Election Day in November.”
Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who is challenging Ogles in the August 1 primary, also commented on Thursday’s ruling, saying, “The continued weaponization of the judicial system should concern every American.”
“Activist prosecutors continue to come after President Trump to score political points, but the American people see this for what it is. I believe the backlash will lead to a huge red wave in November,” Johnston added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
QUESTION IS
WHAT IS OUR TENNESSEE DELEGATION GOING TO DI ABOUT THIS BLACK MARK ON AMERICA?
NO MORE USELESS COMMENTS. NO MORE YSELESS LETTERS TO DOJ NO MORE TIME & MONEY WASTED ON HOURS OF COMMITTEE HEARINGS.
DO SOMETHING YOU GUYS PROMISED.
YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE PURSE. USE IT.
IM SO SICK OF THE GAME PLAYING I COULD PUKE.
YOU WERE ELECTED TI DO A JOB. NOT SIT IN YSELESS COMMITTEES, & LET HIGH PAID STAFF DO YOUR DAMN WORK.
THE DEMS ARE IN CONTROL OFVOUR HOUSE AND SENATE SO WHY SHOULD WE VOTE FOR USEFUL IDIOTS. GIVE ME A REASON TO VOTE PLEASE
What a dark day in American history is how this will be known. A total miscarriage of justice, a blatant abuse of the legal system geared to keep President Trump off the 2024 ballot. I am very confident the verdict will be overturned on appeal. Having said that, those involved in this weaponization of the legal system, the radical democrats and their lemmings, must be held accountable. I would like to see a full objective investigation by both the FBI and the DOJ. While I personally despise Joe Biden as a liar and a public grift, I do not believe he possesses the cognitive skills to coordinate such a legal tragedy. Nonetheless, that feeble old man with a faulty memory needs to be held accountable.