Why Democrats Are Keeping A Low Profile On Trump’s Guilty Verdict

While Republicans blasted the guilty verdict in Donald Trump’s hush money coverup trial as a “weaponization of the justice system,” Democrats had a much more cautious response to the first criminal conviction of a former president.

Many Democrats seemed to be wary of coming off as gloating in the wake of Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records — so they either said nothing or released short statements calling Thursday a sad day for the country.

“We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement.

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign said “no one is above the law,” adding the verdict doesn’t change the fact that Trump can only really be beaten at the ballot box.

“Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,” Biden-Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), meanwhile, called it a “shameful day in American history” and said “Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges.”

His counterpart in the House, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), said simply that the jury has spoken and that responsible leadership “requires the verdict to be respected.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the verdict a “somber” moment for America.

“Trial by a jury of peers is a fundamental principle of democracy, which must be respected,” Pelosi said on social media.

Pelosi’s tone recalls how, in 2019, after she banged the gavel on the first article of impeachment against Trump, the then-speaker used a slicing hand gesture and death stare to stop her Democratic colleagues from clapping.

It makes sense why Democrats, who face tough