Okla. Lawmakers React To Trump Indictment

The indictment of former President Donald Trump on 37 federal counts for his alleged hoarding of classified documents has generated wide-ranging reaction from elected officials, including several from Oklahoma.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is one of Trump's most vocal supporters in Oklahoma and says the indictment is politically motivated.

"What President Trump has done here isn’t any different than the presidents that’s left before," Mullin said in an interview Tuesday.

At his arraignment Tuesday in Miami, Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, most of which center on alleged violations of the Espionage Act. Trump insists his handling of classified documents was all within the law and Mullin agrees.

"Keep in mind, he still had the authority when he left office to declassify the material if he chose to and also keep in mind, he didn’t move one of those boxes himself," Mullin said.

Mullin has already endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and says the indictment changes nothing. He calls Trump a personal friend and says the Justice Department has been out to get him since 2015.

"It’s been nonstop," Mullin stated, from the Russia collusion to all the way where we’re at today. At some point you lose credibility."

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt made news by endorsing Trump's toughest primary opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, last week, but still did not directly criticize Trump during an interview Tuesday in Washington

"Listen, he’s going to have his day in court, for sure," said Stitt, "but nobody can debate the fact that this looks and appears very political or otherwise Hillary Clinton would’ve been indicted, Biden would’ve been indicted."

Legal analysts say the Clinton and Biden document cases are very different, not only because material allegedly in Trump's possession was highly sensitive, with national security implications, but because prosecutors allege he deliberately obstructed efforts to have the documents returned.

"We’ll see how all the facts play out and, of course, we don’t condone any kind of top-secret information that’s out there," Stitt said, "I don’t even know what it is, we’re going to find out."

The only others in the Oklahoma delegation to comment so far on the indictment are Congressmen Hern (R-OK1) and Brecheen (R-OK2). Representatives Cole, Bice, Lucas and Senator Lankford have, to this point, had nothing to say publicly.