Republicans reacted differently Tuesday to former President Donald Trump indictment and declaration that he received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith this week. The letter alerted him that he is the subject of a grand jury probe beginning on January 6, 2021.
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner in 2024, noted that such letters “almost always” indicate an arrest and indictment. Another indictment would be Trump’s third one this election season. He has pleaded not guilty to accusations of fabricating company records brought by the Manhattan district attorney as well as federal charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of secret documents.
According to one attendee, the news of a possible third Trump charge went completely unmentioned during a Republican congressional fundraiser lunch on Tuesday in Washington. The development was largely ignored by several opposition campaign strategists. On Capitol Hill, Trump’s friends soon returned to their usual defensive posture.
Two and a half years ago, the fatal riot that desecrated the nation’s capital threatened to damage Trump’s political legacy permanently. His supporters had invaded the Capitol to prevent his defeat from being certified, fueled by their leader’s call to “fight like hell.” As shattered glass littered the Capitol building, even long-loyal Republicans defected.
Nonetheless, Donald Trump remains the overwhelming frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential candidacy in 2024. On Tuesday, Trump’s Republican supporters converted the threatened accusations against him from January 6 into assaults on his successor.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and a former Republican leader, said the likelihood of another Trump charge is a matter for the Department of Justice, not the Senate.
Senate and House Republicans react differently to the impending indictment
Senate Republicans were far more reserved than their House counterparts. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., for example, called the impending indictment “bullsh-t.” She later tweeted that Special Counsel Robert Mueller was “a weak little b-ch for the Democrats.”
Similar to many House Republicans, Senate Republicans argued that any accusations against Trump would only reinforce the notion of a two-tiered judicial system favoring Biden and penalizing the Trumps.
Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm, said President Joe Biden’s Justice Department was “going after his top political opponent,” echoing a frequent Republican mantra.”
“It’s insane to me,” Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance said in an interview. “We’re in the midst of a presidential campaign. Donald Trump appears to be Biden’s most likely opponent, and now we have a second indictment from the President’s Department of Justice. It appears to be a huge assault on democracy.”
Previous indictments have aided Trump’s campaign, and House Republicans, under their control, have expressed that Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) believes Biden’s Justice Department is “stretching to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Trump.”
“It seems like every time this happens, he gains popularity, so if they’re trying to do it from a political standpoint, it appears to be backfiring,” he added while scrutinizing Biden, his son Hunter, and top administration officials.
Republicans with opposing viewpoints
Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist in California who worked on Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign, believes Trump will eventually carry too much baggage to win the nomination.
“There’s been the question of electability, and as these indictments pile up and details emerge, I don’t think we know yet whether voters will stick with him if there appear to be viable competitive alternatives,” Stutzman said.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said the pending third indictment is just one more reason Republicans need someone other than Trump at the top of the ticket.
Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas’s low-polling former governor, said in a statement that “Donald Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 should disqualify him from ever being president again.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Twitter that he needs to see the indictment before commenting, but that Trump’s “conduct on January 6th proves he doesn’t care about our country & our Constitution.”
“We’re going to continue to get asked these questions between now and primary election day[s] and, if necessary, general election day, for as long as he’s in the race,” he said.
Trump’s campaign has raised millions of dollars thanks to his previous indictments. But, in a town hall-style appearance with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in Iowa on Tuesday, Trump rebuffed the friendly host’s idea that he might slough off his latest legal entanglement.
“No,” Trump responded, “it bothers me.”