“What we’re seeing from some of the more extreme members of the right wing in this country is an abandonment of democracy,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader.
MAGA supporters have called for violence ahead of former President Donald Trump’s appearance in a Miami federal court following his 37-count indictment.
In recent days, Trump, his allies and supporters have publicly announced that the indictment was an act of war and are calling for revenge.
As a result, authorities have ramped up security as they expect large crowds and protests ahead of the former president’s court appearance slated for 3 p.m. ET.
Over the weekend, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on “PoliticsNation,” hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC, to discuss calls for violence.
“What we’re seeing from some of the more extreme members of the right wing in this country is an abandonment of democracy,” Jeffries said.
Last week, in a historic move, the Department of Justice indicted the 76-year-old presidential candidate, alleging he retained classified documents and refused to give them back to the proper authorities. If found guilty, the former president could face a hefty prison sentence.
In response to the indictment, Trump launched an attack against the department, contending prosecutors indicted him as a scheme to halt his second run for president.
While many support the Justice Department’s indictment, several conservative congressional members appeared on national television networks to defend Trump.
Presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., made an appearance on the Fox News Channel and condemned the Department of Justice for indicting Trump.
“In America, every single person is presumed innocent, not guilty, and what we’ve seen over the last several years is the weaponization of the Department of Justice against the former president,” he argued.
“You don’t have to be a Republican [or Democrat] to see injustice to want to fix it,” he said.
In another interview, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was a guest on George Stephanopoulos’ show on ABC News and the two engaged in a heated discussion following the announcement of Trump’s charges.
When Stephanopoulos asked Graham about Trump’s indictment, the conservative senator diverted his attention to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her email server.
“Hillary Clinton did similar things, and nothing happened to her,” he said.
To which, Stephanopoulos redirected the senator who then said, “Espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit espionage.”
“He did not disseminate, leak or provide information to a foreign power… He is not a spy. He is overcharged,” he asserted.
“I don’t like what Trump did in certain aspects. I don’t like what Joe Biden [did]. I don’t like that Mike Pence carelessly took classified information. I don’t like any of that,” he added.
Trump is slated to appear in a Miami courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
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