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Donald Trump Responds to Indictment News With Antisemitic Conspiracy Theory and a Very Big Typo

Could have written this statement ahead of time, man.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

After becoming the first former president to ever be criminally charged, twice-impeached former President Donald Trump reacted in classic Trump fashion: typos, dramatic capitalization, and antisemitic dog-whistling.

On Truth Social, Trump called America a “THIRD WORLD NATION” and misspelled the word ‘indicted.’

“These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President,” Trump wrote, slipping on the banana peel of a word he should be aptly familiar with by now.

THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!

Despite the humor, it’s not promising for Trump to connect the indictment to “A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS,” given the last time Trump whipped up so much anger around a central event, he incited an attack on the Capitol.

In a longer statement, Trump called the indictment “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”

Trump went on to falsely describe the Manhattan district attorney as being “hand-picked and funded by George Soros,” peddling an antisemitic conspiracy about wealthy Jewish people influencing society.

Trump (who still faces three other criminal investigations) said he believes the so-called “Witch-Hunt” will “backfire” and mobilize his followers to beat Joe Biden.

While Trump is leading in the polls, he is yet to actually secure the Republican Party nomination; and while some may determine, ex-ante, that an indictment will make him a martyr, it merits saying, plainly: It’s not great for an elected official to be criminally charged! And perhaps it can be left to the Republican primary voters to decide whether that matters to them—there’s no need for the press to prematurely cast predictions and renege on communicating the basic fact that Trump is (still) unfit for office.

“Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done,” Trump complained. Perhaps this unwittingly highlights his especially high propensity to commit crimes—given how unclean the hands of past presidents have been.

Donald Trump and Gwyneth Paltrow Battle for Top News Story

The two stories are obviously very different, but the fact that they’re jockeying for top spot feels very classic America.

ALON SKUY/AFP/Getty Images Rick Bowmer/Pool/Getty Images

On Thursday evening, a wealthy blond American business mogul finally got some justice.

No, not Donald Trump.

Gwyneth Paltrow.

Trump and Paltrow duked it out in the headlines Thursday, each battling for top spot at major news outlets and on Twitter. Both were trending throughout the United States, although Trump had a slight edge.

A jury decided that Paltrow was not responsible for a 2016 ski accident with a retired Utah optometrist, awarding her $1 and legal fees. Terry Sanderson had originally sought more than $3 million from Paltrow, alleging that she crashed into him, leaving him with four broken ribs, a concussion, and lasting brain damage that affected his daily life, including his ability to taste wine. He later dropped the sum to $300,000 but still lost the case.

The Goop founder has made headlines since the start of the trial last week for her outfits and seemingly unbothered demeanor in court.

Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The charges are still unknown, but he is the first former U.S. president to be criminally charged.

The two stories are obviously vastly different in terms of national importance, but the fact that they are jockeying for top billing feels pretty classic for America. News consumers love a good spectacle—see the many, many jokes made during Trump’s 2016 run, as people failed to realize he was a serious threat—as well as a chance to poke fun at the uberrich. And both these legal cases are perfect situations for both those things.

“Congrats to Donald Trump on Finally Winning a Majority of Votes!”

Here are the best reactions to the criminal indictment of the former president.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

On Thursday evening, Donald Trump became the first former president to ever be criminally charged.

And while Republicans complain of a “banana republic” because an incredibly wealthy and powerful man is facing a slice of consequence for the crooked life he has led so far, most others are responding in a way that reiterates the extremely basic value of holding powerful people to account.

Here is Yusef Abdus Salaam, one of the five exonerated members of the infamous “Central Park Five” group of young boys arrested in 1989 after being falsely connected to a murder in Central Park. Trump spent his own money at the time to take out an ad in four newspapers calling for their death penalty—and refused to apologize for doing so even decades later.

And reminders of what this indictment is really about, beyond jokes, or Republicans lashing out:

Of course, some humor, to be expected on a day that welcomes the revelry reminiscent of Twitter before another incredibly wealthy and powerful man bought it.

Republicans Are Already Losing Their Minds Over the Trump Indictment

“Communist-level shit”

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The news that former President Donald Trump was indicted is still hot off the presses, and Republicans are already freaking out.

A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump Thursday, making him the first former U.S. leader to be criminally charged. He was investigated for his role in hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, although the specific charges are still unknown.

Republicans are unable to contain themselves.

Representative Jim Jordan was so upset that he could only muster one word: “Outrageous.” Former Representative Madison Cawthorn branded the United States a “Banana Republic.”

Representatives Matt Gaetz and Elise Stefanik both accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of leading a politically motivated “witch hunt,” a favorite term of Trump’s.

Representative Ronny Jackson, who was also Trump’s physician, went on a capital-letter-strewn Twitter tirade in which he insisted that “the hateful Deep State wants this country to BURN. Today they didn’t just indict President Trump, they attacked EVERY ONE of his supporters.”

Representative Andy Biggs said it was a case of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and accused the judicial system of overreach. Donald Trump Jr. called the indictment “Communist-level shit.”

Failed Republican candidates Kari Lake and Bo Hines urged people to continue supporting Donald Trump and put on as strong a show as they did last week in New York.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy put out a prepared video statement in which he warned the indictment “will undermine public trust in our electoral system & justice system.”

Thursday’s indictment is expected to be just the first of several charges against Trump, who is at the center of other criminal investigations, including efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Here Is the Moment Fox News Learned Donald Trump Has Been Indicted

“Shit.”

Screenshot/Fox News

Fox News hosts couldn’t contain their shock Thursday when they learned that former President Donald Trump had been indicted.

The hosts audibly gasped on air as their colleague read out the breaking news announcement.

Trump is now the first former president ever to be criminally charged. A Manhattan grand jury had been investigating him for his role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump. The charges are not yet known.