Some Democrats cheered. Others were gloomy.
But from New York to New Mexico, the first Democratic reaction to the news of Impeachment of Donald J. Trump had a common message: no one is above the law.
In statements and interviews, party chairmen, representatives of left-wing organizations and other Democratic officials portrayed the impeachment as a critical measure of accountability for a politician who has long trafficked in lies and now faces a tangle of legal difficulties.
“This indictment is a long-awaited step to hold Trump accountable for his blatant disregard for our laws and democracy,” said Jessica Velasquez, chairwoman of the New Mexico Democratic Party. “The legal system is finally holding him accountable for past transgressions, but it’s up to the voters to hold him accountable in his current run for president.”
“Trump is being held accountable for breaking the law,” added Jane Kleeb, her counterpart in Nebraska.
Though innocent until proven guilty, Trump was indicted Thursday for a special grand jury in relation to his role in silent money payment to a porn star, making him the first former president to face criminal charges in US history.
The specific charges are not yet known, and some Democrats cautioned against making blanket judgments without more information.
“In the United States we believe in the rule of law,” said Rep. Rubén Gallego, who is running for senate in Arizona, he said in a statement. “We should wait to hear from the grand jury before jumping to conclusions.”
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin of Birmingham, Alabama, emphasized that “grand juries are serious business.”
“Since 2016, American politics has been a mess, a shameful mess,” he said in an interview, saying that Trump had done things “where many thought he was above the law. I want to be absolutely clear when I say this: no one is above the law.”
But it remains unclear how much, if at all, top Democrats will be inclined to discuss the impeachment in a political context, especially until the charges are known.
In a statement, the Democratic National Committee made only a passing reference to the development before moving on to criticize Republicans for more traditional policy related to abortion rights and the social safety net, as well as Republican efforts to undermine the ” free and fair elections”.
“No matter what happens in Trump’s upcoming legal proceedings, it is obvious that the Republican Party remains firmly in the control of Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans,” said Ammar Moussa, a representative of the DNC. “We will continue to hold Trump and all Republican candidates accountable. for the extreme agenda of MAGA”.
Others, like Representative Adam B. Schiff, did not hold back. Mr. Schiff, what is running for senate in california and who led the first impeachment trial against Trump, is already raising funds for development.
“Donald Trump has just been impeached,” the appeal read. “Adam has always stood for progressive values and has led the fight to protect our democracy. Now, taking his fight to Trump’s biggest supporters in the Senate is more important than ever.”
