On March 30th, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., as he was returning to his limousine after a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton.

42 years later on March 30, 2023 former President Donald Trump made history as the first U.S. president to be criminally charged.

A grand jury in Manhattan voted to indict him for his role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with him in 2006. The payments, which amounted to $130,000, were made by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen shortly before the 2016 election, in violation of campaign finance laws.

The indictment came as a shock to many of Trump’s supporters, especially those who watch Fox News, the conservative-leaning network that has been loyal to him for years. Fox News hosts reacted to the news with outrage, disbelief and defiance, denouncing the indictment as a politically motivated witch hunt and a threat to democracy.

Here are some of the most notable responses from Fox News personalities:

• Judge Jeanine Pirro: The host of “Justice with Judge Jeanine” said on “Jesse Watters Primetime” that the indictment was “hate like we’ve never seen” and “a sad day for America”. She accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of being a “left-wing radical” who was “out to get” Trump and his family. She also claimed that Bragg had “thrown out” cases involving violent crimes and drug dealers, but was pursuing Trump for a “bookkeeping error”.

• Tucker Carlson: The host of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” called the indictment “the culmination of an effort to make certain that Trump is never elected president again” and argued that Trump would be put through a “humiliation ritual” when he is arrested and booked. He also suggested that the indictment was a provocation to incite violence from Trump’s supporters. “You see Democrats indict the Republican front-runner, it almost feels like they’re pushing the population to react. We think they’re demoralized and passive, let’s see if they really are,” he said on his show.

• Sean Hannity: The host of “Hannity” and a close friend of Trump read aloud a substantial part of Trump’s statement calling the indictment “political persecution and election interference at the highest level” and a “witch hunt”. He then agreed with Trump and said that Bragg “has literally thrown the rule of law to the wind in exchange for a cheap act of petty political vengeance”. He also compared the indictment to the Russia investigation and the impeachment trials that Trump faced during his presidency.

• Jesse Watters: The host of “Watters’ World” and “Jesse Watters Primetime” went on a rant seemingly warning of impending political violence. He branded the indictment as “an attack on our democracy” and said that it was part of a “deep state coup” to destroy Trump and his legacy. He also said that Bragg was a “radical leftist prosecutor” who was “trying to criminalize politics”. He then issued a cryptic threat: "The country’s not gonna stand for it. People better be careful."

• Larry Kudlow: The host of “Kudlow” and Trump’s former White House economic adviser made a prediction that aged poorly. Just before the news of the indictment broke, he said on his show that Bragg “cannot indict a ham sandwich” and that “it looks like Trump will not be indicted”. He then turned to his guest, Charlie Hurt, who agreed with him but said he was certain Trump would be indicted “for something” as he attacked the U.S. justice system for perceived bias against Trump.

These are just some examples of how Fox News hosts are responding to Trump’s indictment. They show how the network is trying to rally around Trump and portray him as a victim of a political witch hunt. They also show how they are trying to undermine Bragg’s credibility and legitimacy as a prosecutor. And they show how they are trying to stir up emotions and fears among their viewers, who may see the indictment as an attack on their values and beliefs.

It remains to be seen how this case will unfold and what impact it will have on Trump’s political future and influence. But one thing is clear: Fox News hosts are not going to give up on their former president anytime soon.