Mike Lee joined seven other Republican U.S. senators in signing a formal statement promising not to cooperate with any Democratic legislative priorities or nominations after former President Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony charges by a New York jury.
In a post to X on Friday, the day after Trump’s historic conviction, Lee said strongly-worded statements are not enough.
“Those who turned our judicial system into a political cudgel must be held accountable,” he said.
The statement from Senate Republicans claim the White House has made a “mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways.”
Sens. JD Vance of Ohio, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rick Scott of Florida, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Marco Rubio of Florida also joined Lee in signing the memo dated May 31. Vance, Scott and Tuberville have each traveled to Manhattan to express their support for Trump during the trial, according to The Associated Press.
“I hope every Republican senator who is sickened by what the deranged left is doing to our country will join us in taking action in the Senate,” Rubio posted on X.
The senators list three promises they will keep in order to not “aid and abet” the White House’s project to “tear this country apart.”
The first promise is not to allow any increase to non-security funding or any appropriations bill that funds “partisan lawfare.”
The Senate Republicans say they’ll no longer vote to confirm political and judicial appointees.
They will also not allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly related to the safety of the American people.
A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying records to keep his sexual relationship with an adult film actress from becoming public because he feared the revelation would jeopardize his 2016 presidential campaign.
After being found guilty of all felony charges, Trump, and many of his supporters, allege without evidence that the trial was “rigged.”
Trump’s hush money trail was prosecuted in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Federal prosecutors have never filed charges against Trump in relation to the case.
At a news conference on Friday, President Joe Biden said, “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”
