No such request was likely to come given Trump’s willingness to go to New York, but the statement showed DeSantis wanted to be seen as standing up to Bragg. Ron DeSantis (R), Trump’s leading rival for the presidential nomination, said Thursday that Florida would not assist with any extradition request Bragg may make to bring Trump to stand trial in New York. He would be released IMMEDIATELY!” he wrote in a follow-up tweet.Įven Republicans who aren’t viewed as staunch Trump allies see it as good politics to rally to his defense given Bragg’s record in New York and the support from Color of Change PAC, a group that accepted money from financier George Soros.įlorida Gov. “On the way to the DA’s office on Tuesday, Trump should smash some windows, rob a few shops and punch a cop. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a tweet Thursday. “How can President Trump avoid prosecution in New York?” asked Sen. His record of downgrading 52 percent of the felony cases in his jurisdiction down to misdemeanors and winning convictions in just more than 50 percent of felony cases has also drawn criticism. Thune, who has stood in as the Senate Republican leader in recent weeks while McConnell recuperates from a concussion, indicated that Republicans are getting tired of having to regularly answer questions about Trump’s legal problems instead of talking about President Biden’s record or problems afflicting the economy, such as inflation.Īsked if it’s frustrating to keep on getting sucked into Trump’s legal dramas, Thune replied: “What do you think?”Īt the same time, Thune acknowledged that “a lot of our members, colleagues” are wondering why the Manhattan district attorney is prioritizing charges against Trump that other prosecutors have declined to pursue “when there are so many serious crime issues in New York.”īragg has come under fire from Republican lawmakers for circulating a memo to prosecutors in January of last year advising them to only seek prison sentences for the most serious crimes. He’s not going to make any statement that would be beneficial to Trump’s potential reelection,” he said. “It’s a puzzle right now and no one really knows how this all plays out, politically and legally,” the aide added. “It’s probably prudent for Republicans to take a deep breath and see what he’s actually charged with. Does that change over time? We’ll see, especially since there’s more legal trouble going on,” said one Senate Republican aide. “It seems like he’s gotten the base strongly behind him. “The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” McCarthy declared last week.īut other prominent Republicans, who want the party to move past Trump, such as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate GOP Whip John Thune (S.D.), are staying quiet about the news bombshell. Ted Cruz (Texas), are lambasting the indictment as an “abuse of power” and a “weaponization” of the justice system, predicting it will fuel public support for Trump in 2024. Some Republicans, such as Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Sen. The unprecedented indictment of former President Trump creates a political puzzle and problem for Republican leaders in Washington who are divided over how to respond to it and have differing views about what it means for the future of their party.
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