College Republicans slapped down by MAGA bigwigs for suggesting Trump trial wasn't rigged

A group of college Republicans who suggested the criminal justice system should be respected were swiftly slapped down by MAGA politicians and pundits who rushed to pledge allegiance to former President Donald Trump, a newly convicted felon.

College Republicans delivered on X Thursday a tempered response to the New York City jury that found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal hush money paid ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

"Today's convictions are the result of a politically motivated prosecution, but a verdict was handed down by jurors whose decisions were made in accordance with our criminal justice system," the group wrote. "As such, the outcome of this trial should be respected."

This suggestion outraged Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who was quick to tell the young conservatives that Trump's conviction threw into question the entire criminal justice system.

"I’m sorry, but this is a horrendously bad take," replied Gaetz. "The verdict should be condemned as a stain on our nation and our justice system. It was the outgrowth of a rigged, corrupt process."

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, also stands accused of criminal election interference in Washington D.C. and election racketeering in Georgia.

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His increasingly authoritarian campaign rhetoric is spurring alarms that he might transform the Justice department into his personal attack dog and dismantle the nation's systems of checks and balances should he regain the White House in 2025.

Several of Trump's supporters Friday echoed his militaristic vitriol when they condemned the young Republicans who suggested respecting New York's courts.

"The call to respect a process when your enemies have weaponized it to eliminate opposition is suicide," replied Auron MacIntyre, a pundit for the conservative media company the Blaze. "Any organization engaging in this should be completely ostracized, it should lose all funding, its leadership should become untouchable."

Hilario Deleon, Milwaukee's Republican Party chairman and a former Trump Campaign organizer, was quick to insult the group and pledge loyalty to the former president.

"Complete and utter nonsense from [College Republicans], a failing organization that is not focused on the mission," replied Deleon. "If you are a college student that is looking to get in the grassroots movement, join @uscollegegop...they know what it’s going to take in terms of organizing and supporting @realDonaldTrump in November."

Robby Starbuck, a failed candidate for the House of Representatives who reportedly tried to trick LGBTQ+ activists into participating in his anti-trans documentary, repeated several of Trump's unsubstantiated claims about the trial.

"How can you say the results of this trial should be respected when every angle of it was rigged from the start?" Starbuck replied. "There’s nothing to respect about a communist show trial held in a far left city with a far left jury + judge and a far left prosecution representing the party they’re part of. Do better."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, while not responding directly to the group of young Republicans, has also denounced any conservative who does not denounce Trump's trial.

"If I see any account saying we need to replace Pres Trump with another candidate at the RNC convention, I will unfollow you," Greene threatened. "You ARE the problem."