Abbott says Trump trial ‘persecution’ not ‘prosecution’

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Thursday that former President Trump’s New York hush money trial was “persecution,” not “prosecution.”

“I’m a former trial court judge,” Abbott said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “And, the reality is, the rulings made by this trial judge in New York are completely wrong in so many respects. Look at the jury charge alone.”

The former president became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony last week, when a jury found him guilty on all counts of falsifying business records to hide alleged affairs during his 2016 campaign.

“And so, there’s every reason to expect this decision to be overturned. But also, most Americans view this as a miscarriage of justice,” Abbott continued. “And you can see it in the fundraising numbers, the polling numbers, that Trump has been able to receive in the aftermath of it. And also, maybe in part because this, maybe for other reasons, you’re seeing Trump gain more support in the Black community, in the Hispanic community, in all communities across the United States of America. This is not a prosecution, this is a persecution.”

Multiple other prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have criticized the verdict in the hush money trial.

“I think it’s terrible. I think what this shows today, is that they can go after a former president with a ridiculous charge like this and gain a conviction, they can go after anybody,” Rubio said on Fox News’s “Hannity” last week.

“And most people can’t afford to fight this stuff off.”

In his own statement released quickly after the verdict came in, Johnson said it was “a shameful day in American history.”

“The American people rightfully see this is lawfare, and they know it is — and dangerous,” he added. “President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict — and he WILL WIN.”