Arizona reacts to Trump verdict: What they are saying about conviction in hush-money trial

Former President Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony charges Thursday in New York only seemed to solidify support for him from his political base in Arizona.

His staunchest supporters in Arizona’s congressional delegation quickly undermined the trial’s legitimacy on social media.

U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., offered an immediate public reaction defending the process.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., outlined a view expressed by many Democrats: Trump faced accountability.

“We are a country of laws, and nobody is above the law,” Kelly said in a statement. “It’s a sad day for our nation to see, for the first time, a former president convicted on criminal charges. I respect the independence of our justice system and the integrity of this trial.”

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., posted a terse message on social media: “Justice is lost.”

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U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., called the process a witch hunt in all capital letters in a tweet following the verdict.

“The Left has weaponized our justice system against Donald Trump. This trial was rigged from the start. I stand with President Trump!” he wrote.

U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., shrugged off the jury’s decision as well.

“They shamelessly weaponized our ‘justice’ system against their political opponent with a rigged trial. Unjust and un-American. I stand with President Donald J. Trump,” Crane wrote in a message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Retiring U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., also denounced the process.

“Very few people thought Trump would receive any fair treatment in NYC, & the judge & prosecutor proved us right with their historic & unprecedented efforts to interfere in the 2024 election,” she wrote on social media. “Americans see through this distortion of justice & will render their own verdict in Nov.”

U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., one of Trump’s biggest critics since his election in 2016, offered a defense of the verdict.

“The felony conviction of a former president marks an unprecedented event in American history. It is a moment of profound reckoning,” he said in a statement. “It also underscores the importance of accountability and the evergreen truth that no one, regardless of their position or power, is above the law. However, this recent ruling also highlights the fragility of our democracy as at the heart of the conviction was the purposeful deceit of the American people to aid Trump in his election to our nation’s highest office.

“This was not a witch hunt or rigged trial, but a stark reminder of the need to further safeguard our democratic institutions from deception, erosion, and abuse.”

Gallego also defended the process that ended with a historic conviction.

“I respect our justice system and the rule of law,” he wrote on social media. “The process played out, and we should always demand accountability from our elected leaders.”

The Republican front-runner in Arizona's Senate race, Kari Lake, saw the case as election interference, not accountability.

“This entire process right down to the verdict itself has been nothing but a shameful political stunt,” she said in a written statement.

“This is a non-crime that a Soros-backed DA conjured out of thin air and placed in front of a highly conflicted Democrat judge, all in an effort to imprison (President) Joe Biden’s political opponent.

“The star witness in this case was a convicted perjurer, whose testimony before the court was one of the most embarrassing debacles ever seen in a courtroom.

“This conviction should be immediately reversed upon appeal, and this legal tyranny will be summarily rejected by the American people on November 5th.”

Republican members of the Arizona Legislature echoed the sentiment as well.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, who is running for Congress, called it “one of the darkest days in American political history.”

“The political prosecution of a former President for murky charges is a disgrace. Our democracy never contemplated lawfare as a political weapon and we cannot continue down this path,” he said in a social media post.

“Sham trial ran by Stalinist Judge working for Joe Biden with a jury of TDS New York libs found Trump guilty, no surprise,” said state Rep. John Gillette, R-Kingman. “American is becoming a 3rd world banana republic under crooked Joe biden.  This will drive Republican voters out in big numbers.”

“Well this is crap! So unfair!,” state House Majority Whip Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande, wrote in a tweet.

While the Republican lawmakers were swift in decrying the judicial system, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, and Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, declined to comment on the matter.

Mayes’ office secured the indictment of the 11 “fake electors” who sought to overturn the 2020 election results on behalf of Trump and his allies. Trump is an unindicted coconspirator in that case.

Kelli Ward, the former chair of the Arizona Republican Party who is among those indicted, also claimed on social media the verdict was an injustice.

"It’s a dark day in this once free nation. #PoliticalPersecution #NeverForget #WakeUp,” she wrote.

The current chair of the state GOP similarly attacked the decision.

“This conviction is a blatant assault on the principles of justice. President Trump’s trial was marred by bias and a predetermined agenda, stripping him of the fair trial to which every American is entitled to,” Gina Swoboda said in a statement.

“We stand resolutely behind President Trump and the Arizona Republican Party will not waver in our fight to uphold justice and ensure that political opposition is not silenced through judicial overreach.”

Karrin Taylor Robson, a 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate who could make another run, joined the chorus decrying the verdict.

“This is political prosecution! What’s happening in New York is a stain on our democracy,” Taylor Robson wrote in a social media post. “Trump has been destroying Biden in the polls so the Democrats have decided they have to use the court system to keep their puppets Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in power.

“We MUST beat Biden in November! Everything is on the line to #SaveAmerica!”

Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger, Mary Jo Pitzl and Ray Stern contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump guilty: In Arizona, the Trump verdict is seen along party lines