Top SD elected officials call former president Donald Trump's indictment 'political'

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem reacted Tuesday on Twitter to news of former president Donald Trump's indictment and arraignment in New York City, where he was charged with 34 felonies relating to hush money payments during his 2016 Presidential run in connection with an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump, who pleaded not guilty to counts of falsifying business records, was indicted in late March by a Manhattan grand jury. The charges were unsealed Tuesday during his arraignment.

More: Trump indictment live updates: Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in historic New York case

Trump is the first former president to be indicted on criminal charges.

Noem said on Twitter she, along with a majority of Americans, believed "this prosecution of President Trump is political." She went on to say that Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, should get his priorities straight.

Noem has been a supporter of Trump's in the past, inviting him to the Black Hills for a Fourth of July celebration in 2020. He endorsed her re-election campaign in early 2022 and sent a video message encouraging people to vote for Noem in November, the day before Election Day that was played at a Rapid City rally.

Sen. Mike Rounds, part of South Dakota's Congressional delegation, issued a statement Tuesday calling the prosecution politically motivated and a "soap opera."

"The indictment includes 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegations of activity that occurred more than six years ago," Rounds said. "Despite the fact these charges are normally misdemeanor charges, the district attorney, in his indictment, is attempting to bootstrap multiple underlying crimes in order to elevate these charges to a felony level."

Rounds and Trump have had their differences in the past. Trump called Rounds a "jerk" and a RINO (Republican in name only) after the senator defended the outcome of the 2020 election.

Sen. John Thune, the second highest ranking GOP member in the Senate, also took the stance that the case appears politically motivated.

"I understand that this is the beginning of a legal process, not the end of one, but after an initial review of the details, this indictment looks like a political agenda run amok, and it’s becoming increasingly clear why previous district attorneys opted against prosecution," he said.

Rep. Dusty Johnson said that by reviewing the indictment, it only "elevated my fears that [the charges] are politically motivated."

"Like all of us, former President Trump deserves his day in court, and a jury of citizens will hear his case, weigh the evidence and render judgement," Johnson said.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD Gov. Kristi Noem calls Donald Trump prosecution 'political'