Schumer on indictment: Trump ‘is subject to the same laws as every American’

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called for calm heads to prevail after the Manhattan District Attorney’s office indicted former President Trump in relation to hush money payments made to an adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.

“Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American. He will be able to avail himself of the legal system and a jury, not politics, to determine his fate according to the facts and the law,” Schumer said in a statement on Thursday night.

“There should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case.,” Schumer continued. “I encourage both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law.”

The indictment makes Trump the first ex-president to be hit with criminal charges in U.S. history.

Many Democrats hailed the indictment. Others have spoken in the same vein as Schumer and are calling for the legal process to play out.

Trump has maintained his innocence and has denied the allegations.

Schumer is also one of the few members of Senate leadership to weigh in on Trump’s indictment. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Republican, have not issued statements in reaction to the news.

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