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A day after former President Donald Trump鈥檚 historic convictions, Maryland Democrats were calling for trust in the system Friday while most Republicans were calling the case a travesty.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st)聽聽鈥渁 travesty of justice and a blatant attempt by the Biden Justice Department to jail a political opponent in the middle of an election year.鈥�
But Democrats said Trump got his day in court, and lost.
鈥淒onald Trump鈥檚 unanimous conviction on 34 counts proves that our system of justice is not a respecter of position, power, or privilege,鈥� Rep. Kweisi Mfume聽 (D-7th)聽. 鈥淓ven if it is the former president of the United States on trial, this case proves that no one is above the law.鈥�
At least four other Democrats in the state鈥檚 congressional delegation used聽聽鈥渘o one is above the law鈥� in聽聽of the trial and verdict.
Trump was convicted Thursday on聽聽of falsifying business records in connection with hush-money payments during the 2016 campaign to cover up an affair with adult film actress, Stormy Daniels.
The conviction, in a Manhattan court on New York state charges, marked the first time a former president has been convicted of criminal charges.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, vowed to appeal the ruling that he called a politically motivated 鈥渟cam.鈥�
That language was echoed by many Republicans in the state.
Maryland Republican Party Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris called the jury decision the product of 鈥渁聽聽system which is broken and corrupt.鈥� A letter from seven GOP delegates 鈥� Matt Morgan, Brian Chisholm, Kathy Szeliga, Lauren Arikan,聽 Mark Fisher, Ryan Nawrocki and Robin Grammer 鈥� did not mince words, calling it a 鈥減olitical prosecution鈥� from a 鈥渒angaroo court鈥� and a 鈥渓eft-leaning prosecutor鈥� that is turning the U.S. justice system into a 鈥渢hird world parody of law and order.鈥�
Not all Maryland Republicans agreed. Notably, former Gov. Larry Hogan, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate this fall, parted sharply with other state Republicans.
鈥淩egardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process,鈥� Hogan said in聽, formerly known as Twitter. 鈥淎t this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders 鈥� regardless of party 鈥� must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship.鈥�
Few of the responses to Hogan鈥檚 post were kind.聽Trump鈥檚 campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita,聽聽simply to Hogan that, 鈥淵ou just ended your campaign.鈥�
An official with Hogan鈥檚 campaign said the former governor, who has long said he will not vote for Trump, did not have reaction to LaCivita鈥檚 comment.
Jason Johnson, a political science professor at Morgan State University, said Hogan鈥檚 position is hot surprising, given his difficult position of running for Senate as a Republican in a blue state like Maryland.
鈥淗e was always going to have trouble, right, like 鈥� Maryland is a reliably blue state during presidential elections,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淎nd so he was always going to have this challenge of, how do I get you to only look at me as a candidate while not paying attention to what鈥檚 happening over there at a national level?
Johnson explained that, in Maryland at least, the Republican Party鈥檚 image is tarnished by Trump.
鈥淚f you are a Republican and you鈥檙e running in Maryland, right now, you don鈥檛 have a lot of pathways to victory, because the people don鈥檛 like what the Republican Party has become under Trump,鈥� Johnson said.
鈥� Maryland Matters reporters Bryan P. Sears and William J. Ford contributed to this report.
