Democratic California Rep. Nancy Pelosi was fact checked on Twitter after falsely claiming that former President Donald Trump will have to prove his innocence.
A Manhattan Grand Jury voted Thursday to indict Trump, nearly two weeks after Trump announced on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested.
Pelosi weighed in on the breaking news.
“The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right.” (RELATED: CNN Analyst Claims Trump Being Indicted On More Than 30 Counts)
The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law.
No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence.
Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 31, 2023
A Twitter Community Note below the post pushed back on Pelosi’s claim, providing “context” to explain her mischaracterization of the U.S. legal system.
“Ms. Pelosi mistakenly says that Trump can prove his innocence at trial. Law in the US assumes the innocence of a defendant and the prosecution must prove guilt for a conviction,” the note reads.
Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik called Pelosi’s comments “deeply offensive” in a statement to the Daily Caller.
“Guilty until proven innocent is not how it works in America. Although radical Authoritarian Nancy Pelosi no longer holds her Speaker’s gavel, she is still considered a leader in the House Democrat Caucus. Her comments on the unprecedented and corrupt indictment of Former President Trump are deeply offensive, unAmerican, and completely counter to the American principles of equal justice under the law and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
“These comments must be condemned by all,” she continued.
Trump’s indictment is related to a years-long investigation into an alleged hush money payment to former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels. Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly sent $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. Cohen claims Trump then reimbursed him. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office investigation focused on whether Trump forged business records to hide the alleged payout.