BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Reaction has spread across the country and beyond to the arraignment of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan, that includes local Republicans and Democrats

There is some agreement from both sides — Democrats and Republicans News 4 has been hearing from say this criminal case against Trump will distract many people from the important issues the country is facing.

The Erie County Republican Committee has issued a statement saying:

“The politically motivated actions by the Manhattan district attorney are about elevating Alvin Bragg’s profile, not securing justice. Despite multiple law enforcement agencies declining to pursue this matter, Bragg is moving forward with a partisan prosecution of President Donald Trump. This same district attorney has failed his constituents by refusing to prosecute the violent criminals who have wreaked havoc on the streets of New York. Americans of all political stripes should be alarmed at this shameful weaponization of a prosecutor’s office against a political opponent.”

Local Republicans have described this criminal case as a “witch hunt.” Democrats that we’ve heard from such as Congressman Brian Higgins say this criminal case is sad, but also serious.

“It is nonetheless serious and it’s also a distraction away from the real problems that exist in our country today,” Higgins said, “This is a sideshow this is a sideshow what’s going on but it is serious and it’s an indictment against a former president it is also very clear that when you live in a civil society the rule of law is very, very important, nobody, nobody is above the law.”

Legislator Rich Andres is the chairman of the Niagara County Republican Committee who’s been a big supporter of President Trump.

“It’s a shocking day for the country certainly most people can see the flimsiness of the charges and to go after a former president seems to be the nuclear option,” Andres said, “If you’re going to do something like this the charges got to be rock solid and can draw a straight line and I don’t think this DA has done that I think this is a pretty clear political hit piece.”

Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy says that the American people did not consider this matter important in the 2016 election and he doesn’t feel this case should be prosecuted calling it an abuse of power by the District Attorney’s Office. Langworthy believes Trump will not be able to get a fair trial in New York City.

“I think this is a gross abuse of the judicial resources and the prosecutorial resources that Alvin Bragg has,” Lanngworthy said, “I think that there’s a lot of people that see this is a heavy political prosecution this is an abuse of the system this is not something that other prosecutors that looked into it, looked into it very seriously chose to follow through with.”

Former Trump advisor Michael Caputo said, “In the end, Alvin Bragg’s indictment really is about election interference what they’re trying to do is stop Donald Trump from becoming the next president and their mistake is they’ve done just about everything they could to be sure absolutely 100 percent he will be the Republican Nominee.”

Protesters have been outside the Manhattan criminal court. News 4 has not heard of any demonstrations locally.