Political Figures React to Trump’s Legal Consequences in NY

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 8, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Lawmakers responded to the news that a New York Supreme Court justice ordered former President Donald Trump to pay a multi-million-dollar penalty and suppressed the Trump Organization’s ability to do business in New York.

More than $360 million, plus interest from the beginning of the case, is due from officials of the Trump Organization. President Trump and the Trump Organization were sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James in September 2022, and the trial did not begin until Oct. 2, 2023.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) took to X, formerly Twitter to celebrate the decision, saying, “Donald Trump has been fined over $438,000,000 for a massive fraud scheme and for raping and defaming a woman. He is facing 91 felonies, including espionage and stealing nuclear secrets. He has called for the economy to collapse. Remember all of it.”

Jack Smith, the prosecutor in another one of the pending cases against President Trump, also commented on the case, bringing attention to the monetary fine and saying, “Trump banned from doing business in NY state for 3 years. … It’s big enough to cripple him.”

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) also offered a positive reaction, saying, “Donald Trump is paying the price for his cons and his crimes. Our justice system is holding him accountable, and it’s so shameful to see these Republican Congressmembers defend his grift. Time’s up, Donald!”

Several Republicans also spoke out about the ruling, asserting sentiments similar to President Trump’s that the case was not fair.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) took to X, saying, “The way the Left has weaponized our judicial system against President Donald Trump should terrify every American.”

Mr. Clyde also reposted President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who said, “We’ve reached the point where your political beliefs combined with what venue your case is heard are the primary determinants of the outcome, not the facts of the case! It’s truly sad what’s happened to our country and I hope others see it before it’s too late to correct course!”

Fellow Republican Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) weighed in, saying, “The ruling by a New York judge today against President Trump is absolutely outrageous.

“It’s never about the law with these people; it’s about going after the man. These people should be in jail for their sham persecutions and for weaponizing the justice system against our next President.”

Likewise, Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas) called attention to the political issues facing the country, saying, “Illegal aliens walk the streets of NYC, wreaking havoc and committing heinous crimes.

“And what is Letitia James and ‘Judge’ Engoron focused on? A politically motivated witch hunt against President Trump.”

President Trump addressed the judgment in a statement posted to X where he refused to back down and called Justice Engoron “corrupt.”

The former president also asserted that New York is going “bust” due to policies by state officials after he was ordered to pay the $350+ million.

“We have a corrupt judge. He’s not a respected man … We’ve employed tens of thousands of people in New York, and we paid taxes like few other people have ever paid in New York.”

“They don’t care about that. It is a state that’s going bust … It’s a state that’s going bust because everybody’s leaving.”

“This is Russia, this is China. This is what you’ve been reading about all your lives and it’s happening right here in our country,” he said.

He added, “We will stop it. We will make America great again. You have my word.”

One component of the sentence put on the former president is a three-year prohibition on President Trump and his entities seeking loans from any bank that is chartered or registered in New York. For the next three years, President Trump would be essentially unable to do business in the state due to this decision.

Barbara Jones, a former judge, will submit a plan to the court in 30 days detailing the authority she needs to serve as an independent monitor for the Trump Organization. She will continue to supervise the organization for at least three years.

Catherine Yang contributed to this report.