Colorado officials react to Donald Trump’s conviction, from saying he “lacks moral capacity” to criticizing “scam trial”

Former President Donald Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee this November, was convicted of 34 felonies Thursday afternoon, drawing an eruption of reaction from some of Colorado’s political leaders.

Here’s a roundup of some of their statements:

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, in a post on social media: “No one is above the law. Coloradans have faith in our justice system and the guilty convictions from a jury of his peers show the former President lacks the moral capacity to lead our country.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican who currently represents the 3rd Congressional District but is running for election in the 4th District, in a fundraising email: “Fellow Conservative, I hate to tell you this, but we knew all along the Uniparty would stop at NOTHING to defeat President Trump. Now, they’ve convicted him in this complete SHAM, SCAM TRIAL.

“We must show that we are still behind President Trump 100%. Don’t let us down. The MAGA movement is alive and thriving. We need to tell the Mainstream Media and Uniparty Losers that this conviction is MEANINGLESS because we LOVE PRESIDENT TRUMP!”

In a series of posts to the social media platform X, Boebert called the verdict “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” and wrote that a popular GOP fundraising platform “just CRASHED because so many people are donating to Trump right now. The Democrats have NO IDEA what they’ve just started.”

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, in a statement: “The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn. No one is above the law, and today’s ruling is a step towards ensuring that no American can exploit our legal system for personal gain. I commend the jurors for doing their civic duty as well as Judge (Juan) Merchan for diligently overseeing this trial and ensuring it was a fair, equitable, and smooth process.”

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, in a social media post: “Donald Trump has continuously tried to swindle the American people, and is now the first American president to be found guilty on felony charges.”

The Colorado Republican Party, in a fundraising appeal on social media: “The people of this country just witnessed an unprecedented example of election interference and a blatant disregard for the rule of law. This is a constitutional crisis and another troubling example of the weaponization of the legal system against law-abiding citizens.

“This entire process, from start to verdict, has been rigged and a disgraceful political maneuver by desperate Democrats who know crooked Joe Biden is losing the 2024 election.”