Possible rivals in primaries, Republican leaders unite in support of Trump

Top Republican leaders have united in support of Donald Trump after a grand jury in New York indicted the former president, who remains the party’s top nominee for the 2024 presidential election.

Most of the party’s renowned politicians have come out to defend the former boss.

Even presidential names such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have shown unwavering and uncritical support for Trump’s conduct.

On Thursday (30), Trump became the first former president in the country to face criminal charges after a grand jury in New York indicted him in a case related to paying for the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels, with whom the former president had an affair in 2006.

Quinnipiac University political science professor Scott McLean told EFE that the former president “should continue his crusade for the presidential nomination” because, according to a poll released this week by his center, the majority of Republicans polled believe that the indictment does not disqualify him from continuing in the electoral race.

McLean recalled that even his main rivals for the Republican nomination had defended him, although this was not very helpful for their own presidential aspirations.

One such “presidential hopeful” is Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence, who, in a speech on Friday (31) before the conservative think tank National Review Institute said the indictment is an “outrage” and “political persecution” by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Pence also asked his Republican colleagues not to “worry” about judicial investigations.

The former vice president took the opportunity to campaign and presented himself as a “common sense leader” for the 2024 election against Trump. However, he has not yet made his pre-candidacy official, a step taken by the mogul in November last year.

Another possible Republican presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has also not made his intentions official, warned on Thursday that he would not comply with a possible request for Trump’s extradition to New York.

Despite the indictment, McLean explained that Trump can still run for election, pointing out that even people in prison can run for president.