How are Republicans Responding to Trump's Third Indictment?

How is Trump’s third indictment impacting his standing in the Republican Party and the 2024 race?

“Indict, Rally, Repeat”: A piece in the Wall Street Journal (Center bias) highlighted the “remarkable resilience” of Trump’s standing in the Republican Party. This indictment, the article predicts, will follow a similar pattern as the two previous ones, serving to “energize Trump’s most ardent supporters and exacerbate national divisions.” The article quoted a Republican strategist arguing this indictment could be more of a “political liability” for Trump than the previous two, but only if his rivals in the primary “actually try to exploit it.” 

Primary Opponents: CBS News (Lean Left bias) compiled the Republican primary candidate responses to the indictment. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott focused on the Department of Justice, accusing it of politically targeting Republicans. Mike Pence, Chris Christie, and Asa Hutchinson criticized Trump, calling on him to withdraw from the race and standing by the DOJ’s charges. 

Difficult Position: A piece in the Washington Examiner (Lean Right) determined that Trump’s rivals in the Republican primary are in a “complicated position” following the most recent indictment. On one hand, they can choose to defend him and criticize the DOJ, but this risks “further boosting [Trump’s] popularity.” On the other hand, they could use the indictment against him in their campaign messaging, but this risks “alienating his devoted supporters.” Regardless of the candidates’ responses, Trump’s indictment puts the media spotlight on him, further drawing attention away from their campaigns.