Pennsylvania congressional delegation divided over Donald Trump indictment

• Robby Brod
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  Robby Brod was the Democracy Beat reporter for WITF.

Five of the 17 members of Congress representing Pennsylvania in the U.S. House made public statements following the 37-count indictment from the Justice Department charging Donald Trump for violations of the Espionage Act, for mishandling classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Two Republicans came to Trump’s defense, including Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th District, who expressed skepticism toward the justice system’s treatment of Trump.

“The double standard the justice system has applied to President Trump is evident,” he tweeted, and he went on to criticize what he perceived as the weaponization of the Department of Justice against political opponents.

“It is a sad day in America, and we cannot allow tyranny like this to reign. I stand with President Trump against this blatant abuse of power. Such an injustice should never be perpetrated in the United States.”

Republican Congressman Guy Reschenthaler, who represents the 14th District, attributed the indictments to what he described as relentless attacks by the “Deep State, Democrats, and Mainstream Media.”

He claims they have “relentlessly attacked President Trump for the past seven years in a disgraceful effort to stonewall his America First agenda and stop him from making America great.”

Across the aisle, three Democratic members of Congress supported the indictments – all from the Philadelphia area.

Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pa.’s 2nd District tweeted, “No President in American history is better at getting indicted than Donald Trump.”

Congressman Dwight Evans, of Philadelphia’s 3rd District, underscored the importance of holding power accountable.

“No one should be above the law in the United States of America,” he tweeted.

Mary Gay Scanlon, representing the 5th District, emphasized the significance and the gravity of the indictments.

“A second grand jury of ordinary Americans has indicted disgraced and twice-impeached former President Trump, this time on federal criminal charges,” she wrote.

Scanlon also criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s reaction to the charges.

“The Speaker calls the indictments unconscionable – what is unconscionable is the alleged criminal conduct.”

Some of Trump’s most loyal supporters in the House have remained silent on the indictment. This includes Reps. Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker, John Joyce, Glenn Thompson, and Mike Kelly – all of whom voted against certifying Pa.’s 2020 electoral votes.

Pa.’s two Democratic U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman haven’t discussed the indictment, but Fetterman made his feelings known by retweeting his Senate colleague Debbie Stabenow from Michigan.

“He stored highly classified documents in his bathroom!? Talk about a sh*tshow,” Stabenow wrote above the DOJ’s picture of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bathroom.

Governor Josh Shapiro has not commented on the charges.