Donald Trump has been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, making him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.
The Justice Department was expected to make public a seven-count indictment ahead of a historic court appearance in Miami next week in the midst of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Shortly after the news broke, lawmakers in Florida were reacting.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen by many as Trump's main rival for the Republican presidential nomination, condemned the indictment.
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"The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society," DeSantis tweeted. "We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation."
DeSantis also invoked the investigations of Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. Clinton was never charged after an investigation into her private email server, and an investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings has stalled.
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"Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?" DeSantis continued. "The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all."
Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, one of Trump's 2016 GOP rivals, also reacted to the indictment.
"There is no limit to what these people will do to protect their power & destroy those who threaten it, even if it means ripping our country apart & shredding public faith in the institutions that hold our republic together," Rubio tweeted.
Fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott blasted the Department of Justice following the indictment.
"Biden is single-handedly destroying the justice system in America. After tonight, Biden will go down as the most corrupt and despotic President in our nation's history. On the day his $5M bribe is exposed to the public, his DOJ indicts Trump for something he himself has done," Scott tweeted. "But hypocrisy is not Biden's worst sin. That would be his destruction of equal justice under the law. He cannot be allowed to serve another term as President."
Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of Trump's Republican allies in Florida, called the indictment "severe election interference."
"The phony Boxes Hoax indictment is an attempt to distract the American public from the millions of dollars in bribes that the Biden Crime Family received from foreign nationals," Gaetz tweeted. "This scheme won't succeed. President Donald Trump will be back in the White House and Joe Biden will be Hunter’s cellmate."
Florida's Democrats mostly haven't commented on the indictment on Twitter, though Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz replied to a few tweets about it.
After the House Judiciary GOP account tweeted "WITCH HUNT" Moskowitz responded "Oh please! You would bring back the Salem Witch Trials if you could."
On Friday, Trump was on the golf course with South Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez.
