Manchin: Trump indictment marks ‘very sad day for America’

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Sunday that the indictment of former President Trump marked a “very sad day for America,” adding he prays that prosecutors did a “thorough job” in their investigation of the former president.

“It’s just a very, very sad day for America, very sad day,” Manchin said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Especially when people are maybe believing that the rule of law or justice is not working the way it’s supposed to and it’s biased. We can’t have that.”

The indictment of Trump in the investigation into alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election was announced late last week after days of anticipation. Republicans have been quick to frame the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation as a political persecution of a former president, who is running again for the White House. Democrats, meanwhile, have said the indictment is proof that everyone in the U.S. is subject to the law.

Manchin in his remarks on Sunday fell somewhere in the middle.

“No one’s above the law,” Manchin said. “But no one should be targeted by the law. So let’s wait and see what comes out next week.”

Trump is expected to appear in court in Manhattan by Tuesday, and Manchin said he prays the district attorney’s office conducted a “thorough investigation.”

“I pray that whatever comes out, that they have done a thorough examination, they’ve done a thorough job as far as showing the rule of law does work for all of us,” Manchin said. “We’ll just have to wait and see on that.”

Manchin also evoked former President Lincoln in saying that Americans should not be further divided.

“Abraham Lincoln said a house divided cannot stand. And we cannot divide our country,” Manchin said.