In the less than 24 hours since former President Donald Trump announced he was indicted on a slew of federal charges, many Republicans – including several of his opponents for the 2024 presidential nomination – have denounced the charges as a political ploy.
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis decried the “weaponization of federal law enforcement” against the former president. Former Vice President Mike Pence said he was “deeply troubled” by the indictment moving forward. Longshot candidate Vivek Ramaswamy promised to pardon Trump if he’s elected.
Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of The Bulwark and director of Defending Democracy Together, told KNX News that Trump’s indictment “gives the GOP another chance to save itself.” But they aren’t taking it.
“So far, the GOP reaction is like their reaction to January 6, like their reaction to so many other things,” Kristol said. “Most Republicans’ reaction – not all, but most – has been pretending, nothing here, nothing here, just a bad Justice Department.”
But why don’t other Republicans – especially the ones currently running against the former president – take this clear exit ramp off Trump Force One? Kristol speculates that it comes down to a fear of alienating Trump’s sizable base of diehard supporters.
“They don’t want to be anti-Trump. They don’t want to be Liz Cheney,” he said. “There hasn’t been a market in the Republican Party so far for really taking on Trump, and there’s been a huge market for wishfully thinking that if we just keep quiet, something will take care of him. And ‘something’ is now the Justice Department.”
But even if the indictment turns off undecided voters in the general election, staying quiet allows Trump, who’s already using his criminal charges as a fundraising opportunity, to control the narrative in the primary.
“If the only Republican voices are saying the trial is illegitimate, it’s the politicized Biden Justice Department going after him, then the Republican primary voters at least … will say, ‘I guess it is the politicized Justice Department,’” Kristol said.
A late May poll found that while the majority of Americans felt Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents was a serious crime, 43% of Republicans said it didn’t change their opinion on Trump, and 27% said it made them feel more positively about him.
Former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers told KNX News she predicts Trump’s trial will occur by early next summer, at the height of campaign season. Even if Trump is convicted, he would still legally be able to run for, and serve as, president.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
