Politicsxt
- Fox News hosts immediately defended Trump as they reacted to the breaking news of his indictment.
- A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict the former president on Thursday, a historic move.
Many Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening as news of the former president's indictment broke in real-time.
"It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy. He didn't really even have to be president," Fox News co-host Jesse Watters said on "The Five." "He had a lot of money, he had a great life. He ran, he won, and they decided to take him down. And now they are trying to nickel and dime for a private agreement he made with a woman, what eight years ago?"
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump after District Attorney Alvin Bragg's two-months-long presentation to jurors. The indictment itself remains sealed for now, but multiple witnesses have said that Bragg focused on an alleged "hush money" paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen, then-Trump's attorney and fixer, wired $130,000 in the days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels has claimed that Trump had an affair with her. The former president has denied having an affair and has repeatedly lashed out at Bragg.
Watters went on to call the move a "disgrace." He also suggested that the payment "had nothing to do with politics," which seems to stretch credulity given the timing of the payment.
Other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself, much as Trump himself has done.
"That's why Bragg did it, he's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host discussed how the indictment will now be part of history.
Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.
Watters predicted that "there will be a major rally around the flag feeling" as people embrace Trump based on the belief that the prosecution was politically motivated. Polling has shown that many Americans do feel that the prosecution was politically motivated, but there could also be major headaches ahead for Trump.
"I'm angry about it. I don't like it. The country is not going to stand for it and people better be careful," Watters added.
This is a breaking news story. Stay with Insider for more updates.