Georgia GOP calls Trump conviction a ‘grotesque abuse of the criminal justice system’

ATLANTA — In less than a month, former President Donald Trump will be back in Atlanta for a debate with President Joe Biden.

Georgia is a critical battleground state in the 2024 election. Among politicians, the reaction to Trump’s conviction over hush money payments in New York is split right down party lines.

Republicans don’t like the verdicts and Democrats are applauding it.

The real question now is what kind of impact could this have on the November election?

Minutes after the jury convicted Trump, Channel 2 Action News started getting reactions from both sides of the Georgia political aisle.

Trump is already facing another criminal trial here in Fulton County, where he’s charged with conspiracy and racketeering in the massive election interference case.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot spoke with Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon, who condemned the verdict.

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“This is a grotesque abuse of the criminal justice system,” McKoon said. “I don’t believe Georgians are going to stand for I don’t believe Georgia Republicans are going to stay in for it. And I think what you’re going to see is a continuing shift to President Trump.”

But Georgia Democrats see the guilty verdict differently.

Rep. Nikema Williams, who is also the chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement: “Nobody is above the law. And today’s verdict does not change our mission in 2024 to reelect Joe Biden.”

Williams went on to point out that the GOP presidential nominee is now a convicted felon which she said could impact the election.

“Convicted felon or not, Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president and Georgians cannot afford a second term of our freedoms being ripped away,” Williams said.

Elliot also contacted Trump’s Georgia attorney Steve Sadow, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. There was no comment from either.

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