Donald Trump called on Wednesday for his fellow Republican lawmakers in Congress to defund the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after the former president was charged with 34 counts in a Manhattan court in New York on Tuesday.

"Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses. The Democrats have totally weaponized law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our already under-siege elections!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

#Trump, who’s running for president in 2024, is facing multiple criminal probes and was indicted by a grand jury in New York over his illegal #hushmoney payment case. pic.twitter.com/wVLMgAkQKM

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 31, 2023

On Tuesday, Trump was arraigned on the count of 34 charges which involved falsifying business records in Manhattan court and paying hush money to adult film stars Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, among other counts. 

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According to court documents, Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to face his next court appearance on December 4. 

Earlier today, Senator Mitt Romney criticized the Manhattan district attorney’s office for the way it has handled former President Donald Trump’s case. 

In a statement, Romney said: "I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda."

He added, "The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system."

A poll published by CNN revealed that 62% of Americans approve Trump’s indictment while 38% disapprove it. 

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