Two members of Maine’s congressional delegation have stated that, despite the high-profile nature of Donald Trump’s indictment on Thursday, the former president is entitled to a fair trial. 

Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said that, like any other case, the burden is on the prosecution.  

“An indictment by a grand jury is the very beginning of the criminal justice process and does not determine guilt or innocence,” King said. “Under our system, the next steps place a heavy burden on the prosecution — to prove the charges (whatever they may be) beyond a reasonable doubt. The former president, like any other citizen, then has every right to present his defense on the law and the facts. 

“While this case is unusual, the principle underlying it is not — in our country, no one is above the law.” 

Maine's 2nd District Congressman Jared Golden, a Democrat, expressed a similar sentiment. 

“No one is above the law," Golden said. "Our legal system is built upon the principle of innocence until proven guilty and we should let the process play out without bias or political interference.” 

Maine’s 1st District Rep. Chellie Pingree said that Donald Trump is “entitled to due process of law.”

“I believe it is important for the legal process to play out fairly and expeditiously, in New York or anywhere else. Like any other American, President Trump is entitled to due process of law,” Pingree, a Democrat, stated Thursday.

Pingree continued: “I strongly condemn statements by President Trump himself and other elected Republican officials attacking the rule of law and once again seeking to incite political violence. Their provocations demonstrate precisely why this indictment is so important.”

A spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party declined to comment, and instead referred to Pingree's statement.

On Thursday, the former president was indicted by a Manhattan district attorney, stemming from an alleged 2016 hush-money scheme.  

In the days leading up to the indictment, Trump and his allies have attacked the DA through social media, and the former president warned on his Truth Social platform of “death & destruction” if he were to be charged.

Trump is the only president, current or former, to ever have been indicted.

The most senior lawmaker from Maine, Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, noted that this was uncharted territory.

"I don’t know what to make of it," Collins said. "This is an unprecedented situation."