A call to drop out, an offer of legal assistance: Primary opponents react to new Trump indictment

Former President Donald Trump’s fourth indictment late Monday drew condemnation and consolation from his opponents in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy weighed in even before the Georgia events unfolded, describing the anticipated charges against the frontrunner in the GOP race as “another disastrous Trump indictment” after the Fulton County court where Trump was later charged appeared to post and then remove a document detailing the impending indictment.

Ramaswamy went beyond attacking the Georgia prosecutors bringing the charges, suggesting he’d be willing to assist in the former president’s legal defense.

“As someone who’s running for President against Trump, I’d volunteer to write the amicus brief to the court myself: prosecutors should not be deciding U.S. presidential elections, and if they’re so overzealous that they commit constitutional violations, then the cases should be thrown out & they should be held accountable,”Ramaswamy wrote on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was not so sympathetic, instead reiterating his calls for Trump to drop out of the race.

“Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump’s actions disqualified him from ever serving as President again. Those words are more true today than ever before,”Hutchinson wrote on X late Monday, following the news of the indictment.

Trump’s latest charges, leveled by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after a two-year investigation, include allegations that heconspired to derail the Electoral College process, and pressured Georgia officials to undo the election results all while lying about fraud allegations.

Leaders in Congress were quick to deliver what have become consistent responses in the wake of news of Trump’s growing legal woes.

“The actions taken by the Fulton County District Attorney, along with other state and federal prosecutors, reaffirms the shared belief that in America no one, not even the president, is above the law,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in ajoint statement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who chaired the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the events leading up to it, wrote: “The January 6th Select Committee revealed that Donald Trump and his allies used the Big Lie of a stolen election to pressure Georgia public servants to betray their oaths and manipulate the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election.” 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthyaccused President Joe Biden of weaponizing the government against Trump, and attacked Willis, claiming she brought the indictment in an effort “to fundraise her political career.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also came to the former president’s defense.

“Today’s indictment is just the latest political attack in the Democrats’ WITCH HUNT against President Trump,” Jordan, who heads the House Judiciary Committeewrote on X. “He did nothing wrong!”