2024 Republican hopefuls slam Justice Department over Trump’s indictment in labeled paperwork probe

By Reuters: Donald Trump’s primary rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination condemned the Justice Department for its transfer to cost him over his dealing with of labeled paperwork, underscoring their concern of upsetting his core supporters.

The indictment of a former president on federal costs is unprecedented in US historical past, a case made extra extraordinary by Trump’s standing because the clear front-runner within the Republican race to problem Democratic President Joe Biden subsequent yr.

Instead of utilizing the indictment to undermine Trump’s bid for the White House, nonetheless, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, US Senator Tim Scott and Nikki Haley had been among the many candidates accusing the Justice Department of political bias, highlighting a stance that has grow to be central to lots of their very own campaigns.

All sounded in earlier than the indictment was unsealed on Friday afternoon, revealing detailed allegations that Trump had mishandled paperwork containing a number of the nation’s most delicate safety secrets and techniques and obstructed the probe.

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“The weaponisation of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society,” DeSantis, who’s operating a distant second behind Trump within the polls, wrote on Twitter. “We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation.

Republicans have alleged, without evidence, that the Trump indictment is a politically motivated move by Biden. The Justice Department says all investigative decisions are made without regard to partisan politics, and has handed the investigation to a special counsel who was appointed in an effort to add a degree of independence to such a politically sensitive probe.

The 37-count indictment against Trump accused him of mishandling classified documents that included information about the secretive US nuclear programme and potential domestic vulnerabilities in the event of an attack. It also alleged that Trump discussed with his lawyers the possibility of lying to government officials seeking to recover the materials.

President Joe Biden, who is facing his own review over his handling of classified documents, reflecting the tightrope he must walk in dealing with a prosecution of his main political rival, said on Friday he had not spoken to Attorney General Merrick Garland about the case.

“I’ve not spoken to him in any respect and I’m not going to talk with him,” Biden said, distancing himself from the investigation into his political rival.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a long-shot Republican candidate, was the sole rival so far to outright criticise Trump. Hutchinson called on him to end his campaign, arguing that Trump had flouted the Constitution and shown a “disrespect for the rule of legislation”.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who this week blasted Trump as he announced his own 2024 bid, said he wanted to see the details of the indictment before weighing in.

By and large, however, the challengers came to Trump’s defence, perhaps mindful of how Trump’s March indictment in New York over an alleged hush money payment to a porn star was seen by many Republicans as politically charged and only served to rally support to his side.

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Trump’s support has held steady through many other lawsuits and scandals, but the serious charges laid out against him on Friday could give his Republican rivals ammunition to attack his record, especially on national security.

Chuck Coughlin, a longtime consultant for Republicans in Arizona, said the cumulative effect of criminal charges will begin to take its toll on Trump’s base, which is thought to make up 30 per cent of the Republican electorate.

Trump is also under investigation in Georgia for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election in the state, and faces a separate federal probe into his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.

If the indictments pile up, Coughlin predicts the other Republican candidates will start to argue that Trump cannot win the general election. “There’s acquired to be a fatigue issue there,” Coughlin said.

RIVALS ECHO TRUMP’S RHETORIC

In the meantime, Trump’s rivals are adopting his rhetoric against the Justice Department, accusing federal prosecutors of singling out Republicans, even as they cheer on a federal investigation into Biden’s son, Hunter, over tax-related issues since 2018. The president’s son has denied wrongdoing.

Scott, who is polling in the single digits, criticised what he also called the “weaponisation” of federal prosecutors.

“Today what we see is a justice system the place the scales are weighted,” he said in an interview on Fox News late on Thursday.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a venture capitalist also considered a long shot for the Republican nomination, accused the Justice Department of unfairly targeting Trump and vowed to pardon him if elected.

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Haley, UN ambassador under Trump, said Americans were “exhausted by the prosecutorial overreach”, but also hinted at the chaos surrounding Trump.

“It’s time to maneuver past the infinite drama and distractions,” Haley wrote on Twitter on Friday.

In New Hampshire on Friday, Pence said he was “deeply troubled” by the indictment, believing it might additional divide the nation. He added, nonetheless, that the American public ought to assessment the info of the case and make their very own judgment.