“Federal Law Enforcement Arming.” “What we see is a court system where the scales are weighted.” “Deeply disturbed to see this indictment go forward.”
Former President Donald Trumprivals for 2024 Republican Nomination walked a fine line between supporting him and alienating his followers in the hours that followed Trump announced he had been charged on charges stemming from the federal investigation into his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving the White House.
Before The 37-count indictment was unsealed On Friday, the candidates were quick to go after the Justice Department rather than the former president. Trump is the first former president to be indicted by the Justice Department, though the charges come just weeks later he was charged with 34 counts by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Trump can still run for president although he was charged. As Special Counsel Jack Smith noted On Friday, the defendants in America are “presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.”
Ron DeSantis
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considered Trump’s biggest challenger, did not comment directly on the accusations. Instead, DeSantis, who at a fundraiser across Texas on Thursday, tweeted the “militarization of federal law enforcement poses a deadly threat to a free society”.
He claimed that a DeSantis administration “would hold the DOJ accountable, remove political bias, and end gunning once and for all.”
Tim Scott
Shortly after the news broke, Senator Tim Scottt of South Carolina also criticized what he called the Justice Department’s weaponization of the former president in an interview on Fox News.
“The only thing that makes America the city on the hill is faith in our justice system. And today what we see is a justice system where the scales are balanced,” said said Scott. He went on to say he would “purge all injustices and impurities from our system”, but did not address the details of the possible allegations against the former president.
Mike Pence
During a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Friday, the former Vice President Mike Pence, who has criticized his former boss on the campaign trail since launching his own White House bid on Wednesday, said it was a sad day in America. He called the indictment unprecedented and blasted the Justice Department’s politicization, promising to “clean house” at the highest levels of the department if elected.
“I had hoped that the Justice Department would see clearly how to resolve these issues with the former president without moving forward with charges, and I am deeply troubled to see this indictment move forward,” said Penny.
He said Trump was entitled to the presumption of innocence. Before the indictment was unsealed, Pence asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to unseal it, accusing him of hiding behind the special counsel and saying Americans deserved to know the basis for it. On Friday afternoon, he did not answer a question about the unsealed indictment. The former vice president was recently cleared of wrongdoing over classified documents found in his home after leaving office.
Nikki Haley
Nikki Haleywho served as a UN ambassador under Trump, tweeted that indicting a former president is “not the way justice should be pursued in our country.” to move beyond drama and distractions, she writes.
Vivek Ramaswamy
In a press release, the businessman Vivek Ramaswamy criticized “two levels of justice,” called the indictment an “affront to every citizen” and said it was hypocritical for the Justice Department to prosecute Trump but not President Joe Biden.
“It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump were not in the race, but I stand for principle over politics. I am committed to pardoning Trump promptly on January 20, 2025 and restoring the state of law in our country,” Ramaswamy said.
chris christi
Former Governor of New Jersey chris christia former federal prosecutor, took a more measured approach late Thursday while waiting to see what the facts are when the possible indictment comes out.
“As I’ve said before, no one is above the law even if they want to. We’ll have more to say when the facts come to light,” he tweeted.
On Tuesday, a New Hampshire voter asked Christie if he would forgive the former president if elected. He said if he thinks someone got a full and fair trial before a jury of his peers, he can’t imagine forgiving them. Christie has been a vocal critic of Trump for he entered the race earlier this week.
Asa Hutchinson
Former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson was the only 2024 GOP hopeful to call on Trump to end his presidential campaign, Hutchinson said the ongoing criminal case would be a major distraction.
“With the news that Donald Trump has been indicted for the second time, our country finds itself in a position that weakens our democracy. Donald Trump’s actions – from his willful disregard for the Constitution to his disrespect for the State of right – should not define our nation or the Republican Party. This is a sad day for our country,” Hutchinson said.
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