Republicans on Capitol Hill are intensifying their defense of former President Donald Trump following his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. The GOP is promising congressional action against the New York district attorney and escalating its rhetoric with tinges of violence.
The indictment, which was made public on Thursday after Trump predicted he would be arrested last week and called for protests, has incited outrage among supporters of the former president. In response to the charges, some Republicans have been handing out symbolic ham sandwiches and calling for protests.
With the indictment now official, some Republicans are pushing for more congressional action while others have expressed concern about interference in a prosecutorial proceeding. However, critics argue that this embrace of investigating any “witch hunt” against Trump risks taking away focus from other priorities.
A leak to the Associated Press revealed that President Trump is facing at least one felony charge in the Stormy Daniels ‘hush payment’ case. While details surrounding this charge remain under seal, sources say that it stems from alleged hush money paid in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence regarding an affair she claimed to have had with Trump.
Trump's lawyers were reportedly shocked when news broke about his impending arrest but maintained that he had not committed any crime. They vowed to "vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."
Former President Donald Trump is also facing multiple charges related to business fraud in addition to falsifying business records. He is expected to be arraigned before Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday at 2:15 PM ET in New York City.
This indictment marks an unprecedented moment as it makes him the first ex-president ever charged with a crime. Despite his allies' and advisers' belief that the Manhattan case against him is weak compared with others under investigation elsewhere, it remains unclear what impact these legal proceedings will ultimately have on both Trump's reputation and the future of the Republican party.