Senior Republicans in Congress and the party’s 2024 White House contenders stood by former President Donald Trump and denounced the accusations as a weaponization of the legal system by Democrats after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury looking into hush money payments to a porn actress.
As per media reports, Trump still had a stronghold on the Republican Party and many of its supporters, as evidenced by the Republicans’ vehement reaction to the indictment on Thursday. Trump is seeking reelection to the White House in the 2024 presidential election.
The indictment was denounced by three possible Trump opponents for the Republican nomination, showing the delicate balance they must walk when dealing with Trump, who has a core of ardent supporters among the party’s primary voters.
The indictment was denounced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and U.S. Senator Tim Scott, all of whom have not yet formally declared their interest in running for president but are moving in that direction.
Trump’s main opponent for the nomination, DeSantis, is making avoiding personal drama a cornerstone of his nascent campaign.
On Twitter, though, DeSantis criticized the charge, calling it “un-American” and “the weaponization of the judicial system to further a political agenda.”
Pence referred to it as an “outrage,” and Scott denounced it as a “travesty.”
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared in the U.S. Congress that the indictment “weaponized our precious system of justice” against Trump.
Another Republican leader in the House, Elise Stefanik, referred to the indictment as a “political witch hunt” and a “sad day for America.”
Senator from Florida and fellow Republican Ted Cruz from Texas both referred to the indictment as “a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the legal system” and “a political vendetta against President Trump.”
Trump referred to the charges as “political persecution.”
He warned Republicans last week that he will be indicted for alleged payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, setting them up for a response. According to Trump’s campaign, he raised close to $2 million over the previous week.
