Pritzker, Illinois political leaders react to Trump verdict (2024)

SPRINGFIELD — State lawmakers and political leaders reacted swiftly, and starkly along party lines, after the guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump's New York hush money trial.

The jury returned the verdict after about 9½ hours of deliberations, finding Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.The case is the first ofTrump’s four indictmentsto reach trial and is the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.

Here's a look at what they had to say.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker

“Justice has been served. After facing a jury of his peers, Donald Trump is exposed as the liar and fraud that he is. Trump evaded the law to deceive voters and today, the law caught up with him.

“Donald Trump is a racist, a hom*ophobe, a grifter, and a threat to this country. He can now add one more title to his list— a felon. But let me be clear, Donald Trump will never be 47.”

Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party chairman

"Let's call this trial what it really is: a political prosecution the likes of which occurs in banana republics but not previously in these United States.

"Democrat activist investigators and prosecutors have relentlessly hounded President Trump for years. First, they challenged the legitimacy of his election in 2016 thru the Russian collusion hoax. Then, they strove to defeat his re-election in 2020 thru impeachments and the Hunter Biden laptop coverup. Then, they indicted him and his supporters to tarnish his legacy in an effort to re-elect President Biden.

"This weaponization of the judicial system has weakened our country here and in the eyes of the world, which I'm sure President Biden will savor while he vacations in Delaware as his handlers make critical decisions for the country."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin

“As I’ve said all along: no one is above the law — not even a former president. Consistent with the rule of law, a jury of his peers found the former president guilty on all counts. Today’s verdict is another reminder that Donald Trump is unfit for public service. Now, it is up to the American people to decide if he is worthy of the seat behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth

“Our justice system has made it resoundingly clear: no one is above the law. Not even a former president of the United States.”

Illinois Freedom Caucus

“This is a sad day for our nation. Regardless of one’s view of President Donald Trump, every person accused under our laws deserves a fair trial and a fair legal process. The case against President Trump was rigged from the outset.

"The prosecutor Alvin Bragg ran a campaign promising to prosecute President Trump. The judge in the case is a Democrat and has a daughter directly involved in Democratic party politics. Throughout the entire process, the judge refused to allow key witnesses for the defense and allowed the prosecution to do virtually whatever they wanted to do. The judge clearly had his thumbs on the scales of justice.

"President Trump will be vindicated on appeal but what happened here is the sanctioning of political persecution. This trial, this verdict, this manipulation of our justice system is the new face of leftist tyranny. The unhinged left may be celebrating now, but they will not win the war. The American people will see through this sham trial and they will elect Donald Trump President of the United States in November. The only verdict we the people care about is the one coming on November 5th.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus comprises Republican state Reps. Chris Miller of Hindsboro, Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City, Adam Niemerg of Dieterich, Brad Halbrook of Shelbyville, Dan Caulkins of Decatur, Jed Davis of Newark and David Friess of Red Bud.

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro

"New York’s six-week sham trial against President Trump has eroded the public’s trust in our legal system in a way that will take years to overcome. The trial, along with all the character attacks, campaign interference and Hollywood cameos that surrounded it, had one purpose: to weaken President Trump before the 2024 election. It won’t work. Even after today’s verdict, he is strengthened with an American public that is fed up with liberals weaponizing the legal system for their partisan political gain."

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield

“Today, we’re seeing that nobody is above the law. We should never allow a 34-time convicted felon to occupy the Oval Office.”

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria

“Prosecutors are taught to prosecute crimes, not people. The charges brought in the NY case against President Trump by a politically motivated DA seeking to fulfill a campaign promise would not have been rendered against anyone else. Prior DAs, federal prosecutors, and the FEC chose not to move forward or indict this case. This political prosecution undermines the rule of law and faith in our justice system. It should be overturned on appeal.”

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland

Via X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter: "I sat in this trial for a day & it was a complete SHAM. The Democrat 'judge' instructed the jury to find President Trump guilty if only 4 out of 12 of them agreed on a crime. The anti-Trump witnesses admitted to lying under oath. The corrupt prosecutor was sent by the Biden DOJ!"

Editor's note: Jurors were told that all12 must agree that the former president created a fraudulent entry in his company’s records or caused someone else to do so, and that he did so with the intent of committing or concealing another crime. Read more here.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago

"I have always said, no one is above the law, not even a former president.

"Today, the justice system finally caught up with Donald Trump.

"Let us remember that Donald Trump is also under indictment for several other crimes, including some that were much more damaging to our national security and our democracy. He must be held accountable for every one of his misdeeds.

"For the sake of the nation, Republicans must abandon Donald Trump as the head of their party once and for all and help prevent a historic criminal from retaking the most powerful post in the world."

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich

“What the far-left is doing to President Donald Trump is shameful. There was no fairness here. This was a political witch hunt from the start. Joe Biden has shown totalitarianism and authoritarianism are the new norm for the Democrat party. They wanted a conviction to help prop up Biden’s fading poll numbers and that is what they got with a partisan judge and prosecutor and a jury in a part of the country that hates President Trump. Joseph Stalin would be proud.

"The Democrats have shown that they cannot be trusted to be anywhere near power. They must be stopped and the only way to do that is for Donald Trump to win in a landslide in November.”

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City

“The far-left in this country have awakened a sleeping giant — the American people. Their arrogance and abuse of power is something the American people know instinctively they have to stop. This trial was not about justice. It was about politics. It is the political persecution of the Democratic Party’s chief rival President Donald J. Trump.

"Every American who loves this country is outraged by the trampling of our Constitution by the worst people imaginable. The same people who allow criminals to murder, rape, and commit unspeakable acts of violence have the audacity to prosecute a former President of the country.

"The American people see right this through, and they will come out in huge numbers to vote for President Trump because they understand the battle facing us is not one of politics and political disagreement — it is truly good versus evil. What is happening to President Trump is evil and the American people are now awakened to the threat these people pose to our country. The verdict they should be caring about is not the one today but the final verdict that is coming on November 5th when the American people resoundingly elect President Donald Trump.”

Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, who served on the Jan. 6 committee

“Today’s guilty verdict is absolutely correct, and nobody is above the law. I look forward to more guilty verdicts when the federal cases move forward. Trump is now a felon.”

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose prison sentence Trump commuted in January 2020

“I love Trump more today than ever! When you’ve lived through it yourself you recognize when they do it to someone else. The political fix was in from the beginning. Disgraceful and corrupt convictions of the leading candidate from the opposition party by a handpicked politicized Dem judge who denied a former President a chance to put on a defense and allowed ridiculously unlawful jury instructions. That Dem Judge and those Dem prosecutors ought to go right to F’n jail for what they are doing to our democracy and our country.”