Trump’s 2024 GOP opponents rush to his defense, post indictment

They may be trying to beat Donald Trump for their party’s presidential nomination. But in the aftermath of the former president getting indicted for the second time while on the trail, his competition has chosen, largely, to rally to his side.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday night tweeted out criticism of federal law enforcement for indicting Trump on charges related to classified documents found at his Florida property and his handling of investigations into his retention of them. He pledged to “bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all,” should he be elected president.

That was a relatively modest response put next to the one from longshot GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who said that if he was elected he would pardon Trump.

In a statement late Thursday, the 37-year-old biotech executive echoed Trump’s criticism of the special prosecutor, saying there were “two tiers of justice,” with Trump subject to a different standard than President Joe Biden.

“It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump weren’t in the race, but I stand for principles over politics. I commit to pardon Trump promptly on January 20, 2025 and to restore the rule of law in our country,” he said.

Ramaswamy, who has polled in the single digits in the GOP primary, is unlikely to be the next president, but his statement reflected the larger trend that took place on Thursday night. Rather than turn on the ex-president, his party feels compelled to echo his notion that he’s been victimized.

It’s a pattern that’s taken place after previous Trump legal dramas as well, including a New York indictment for falsifying business records related to a payout to adult film star Stormy Daniels and a civil judgment related to a decades-old assault on writer E. Jean Carroll.

On Thursday, youth activist Charlie Kirk, who runs the influential conservative group Turning Point USA, called on every other ‘24 GOP primary candidate to “suspend their campaign” and go to Miami — where Trump is being summoned — “as a show of support.”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in an interview on Fox News shortly following news of Trump's coming indictment that "lady justice has a blindfold on" and "what we've seen over the last several years is the weaponization of the department of justice against the former president."

He then promised to "purge all of the injustices and impurities in our system" if elected.

Perry Johnson, who is spending from his own fortune on his presidential run, claimed he was the first to call for Biden to pardon Trump, "so the country can move on to the important issues facing the country."

Alas, not everyone in the GOP field rushed to Trump’s defense. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has struggled to gain any traction in the polls, said Trump’s actions shouldn’t be wha defines the Republican Party. He called on him to drop out.

"While Donald Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the ongoing criminal proceedings will be a major distraction,” said Hutchinson. “This reaffirms the need for Donald Trump to respect the office and end his campaign."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie urged for cooler heads. "Let’s see what the facts are when any possible indictment is released. As I have said before, no one is above the law, no matter how much they wish they were. We will have more to say when the facts are revealed," he tweeted.