Several top Republican lawmakers have responded following news on Thursday that a grand jury in Manhattan decided to indict former President Donald Trump over allegations he made a ‘hush money’ payment ahead of the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels in violation of campaign finance laws.

The indictment was confirmed Thursday evening by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “It is un-American. The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent.”

“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” DeSantis added.

The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.

It is un-American.

The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is…

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 30, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) added that Bragg “has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election.”

“As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump,” McCarthy noted. “The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.”

“The Democrat Party’s hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds,” added Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “The ‘substance’ of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system.”

Here are some more responses:

— House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA): “The sham New York indictment of President Donald Trump is one of the clearest examples of extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents. Outrageous.”

— Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO): “Tonight’s indictment of Donald Trump isn’t about the law. It’s about power. Raw power. It’s the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election. It is an assault on our democracy, pure and simple.”

— Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH): “A week ago a video circulated of a lunatic harassing a family on a New York subway. He hurled racial slurs (the family was white) and threatened them. Alvin Bragg thinks that man should walk free and Donald Trump should go to jail for a fake misdemeanor. It’s despicable.”

— Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO): “This is purely a partisan case against President Trump. Soros DA Bragg campaigned on prosecuting President Trump, while violent crime in NYC rages on & violent criminals walk free. This is a political prosecution in search of a crime & sets a dangerous precedent going forward.”

— Former Trump UN Ambassador and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley: “From everything I have seen from this New York district attorney is that this would be something he’d be doing for political points. I think what we know is, when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice.”