McCarthy vows to hold Bragg ‘and his unprecedented abuse of power to account’

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday vowed to hold Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) “and his unprecedented abuse of power to account” after news broke that former President Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, the first time a sitting or former U.S. president has faced criminal charges.

McCarthy argued Bragg “irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” as Trump is in the middle of a 2024 campaign for another four years in the White House.

“As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. 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,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy has been dismissive of Bragg’s investigation, calling it “the weakest case out there.” Other Republican voices and Trump allies have piled on in criticizing the Manhattan prosecutor’s case as politically motivated.

Earlier this month, though, the Speaker publicly disagreed with Trump’s calls for his supporters to protest the possible indictment.

“Protest, take our nation back!” Trump had said after he shared that he expected to be arrested.

“I don’t think people should protest this stuff,” McCarthy said.