Donald Trump’s indictment is a headache for his rivals. “She puts them in a difficult position, they are forced to walk on eggshells,” sums up George Edwards, professor of political science at Texas A & M University. Clearly, they must defend him or, if they refuse, risking the wrath of the extremely loyal Trumpist base who will accuse them of playing into the hands of the Democrats. However, the other candidates in the primary absolutely need Conservative voters to have a chance of winning the nomination. “At the same time, at some point or another, they need to be able to differentiate themselves from Donald Trump without appearing to be disloyal,” continues Professor Edwards.
The former American president has just been charged by federal justice for having illegally kept confidential documents after his departure from the White House. He faces seven counts. Already, a few months ago, he had been indicted for having tried to buy the silence of a porn star during the 2016 campaign.
Rare reviews
Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas and presidential candidate, is one of the few to have dared to criticize him. “Donald Trump’s actions…should not define our nation or the Republican Party,” he said, adding that the investigations were going to be “a major distraction.” He also called on the former president to “respect the office and end his campaign”. Chris Christie, another suitor, ex-governor of New Jersey, tweeted that we had to wait for the charges but that “no one is above the law, even if they dream of being”.
The other candidates have defended him in a more or less measured way, accusing the Biden administration of wanting to torpedo his rival’s campaign. Mike Pence, the former vice president, said he was “deeply troubled by this indictment”, saying it was “a sad day”. He added, however, that “no one is above the law”. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and the top rival, tweeted, “The instrumentation of federal law is a mortal threat to a free society.” Why, he added, is the judiciary “so zealously pursuing Trump and so passively Hillary or Hunter”? A few months ago, Ron DeSantis was savaged by conservatives for failing to denounce Trump’s first indictment. As for Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur also a candidate for the primaries, he summed up: “It would be much easier for me to win the election if Trump was no longer in the running, but I defend the principles.” And he promised to pardon him once elected.
Trump’s grip
These endorsements show Trump’s enormous hold on the Party. Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives, came to his rescue saying that it was “a dark day for the United States. It is inconceivable for a president to indict his opponent the better placed”. Matt Gaetz, a far-right lawmaker, tweeted: “These shenanigans aren’t going to work. President Donald Trump is going back to the White House and Joe Biden is going to keep Hunter company in jail.” And on Fox News, one of the anchors said “June 8 is uprising day, not January 6.” Meanwhile, Donald Trump and his teams, who denounce the indictment as a “witch hunt”, are mainly active in monetizing it. After the first charge, he saw a surge in popularity and raised $4 million in 24 hours.
This is the first time that a former president has been charged by federal justice. But in the Constitution, nothing prohibits a candidate charged – or even in prison – from running. Behind the scenes, the pundits of Great Old Party do not hide their concern about the endless legal disputes of the poll favorite. Because even if the indictments do not bother Republican voters, moderates and centrists are likely to be less lenient. The first trial on the purchase of the silence of the porn actress must start in March, in the middle of the primary period. “In general, it’s not very good for a candidate to end up in court and have to prove his innocence, concludes Professor Edwards. In the end, the main beneficiary of this indictment is Joe Biden .”