Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, told Fox News on Monday that Trump was incredibly “reckless with our national security” if the allegations in the indictment are true. So far, Trump's rivals are still trying to find their footing as the former president commands a big lead in early Republican primary polls.Īnd as they test evolving messages on the campaign trail and in media appearances, none of top-tier competitors are running paid advertisements pointing to Trump's legal troubles. "That tells us that many Republicans are ready to move on - they just need to see another candidate step up and show they can lead and win.” “Based on the data we’re collecting, more than two-thirds of people who say they’re supporting Trump are also receptive to arguments that he is a weak candidate, his focus on 2020 is a liability, and his lack of appeal with independent voters is a problem,” Seidel said. “But this time, he can’t win.”Īmericans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel said her organization has talked to thousands of voters in key states to determine the most effective arguments to undermine Trump’s political strength. “Trump did a lot of good things as president," one of the ads says. The new ads make no mention of his legal troubles. The Koch network’s political arm, Americans for Prosperity, has begun running online ads across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - the first three states on the GOP’s presidential primary calendar - focusing on questions about Trump’s electability in next fall’s general election against Biden. But this time the GOP faces the very real possibility that a man who has been indicted twice and charged with dozens of felonies could become the party’s standard-bearer in 2024.įighting that outcome, which once seemed all but inevitable, a powerful conservative voice is being raised in the fight for the first time. The Republican establishment has tried and failed to reject Trump and his divisive politics for much of the past decade. "People absolutely love this president, and I believe his base is going to turn out.” “I thought there would be almost a civil war in the Republican Party for the nomination, but that quickly turned into an unconditional surrender,” said Jeffress, who mingled at Trump's post-indictment gathering at Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump's Republican opponents privately concede that his political strength is likely to grow stronger in the short term, as GOP voters, key officials and conservative media leaders rally around him.įor example, Pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist megachurch in Dallas, initially declined to endorse Trump's 2024 bid but declared Tuesday night that the GOP's presidential primary was all but over. Indeed, most of Trump's competitors are making a risky bet - for now - that the weight of his extraordinary baggage will eventually sink his reelection bid. Even the most aggressive have layered their criticism of Trump with attacks against the Justice Department - for bringing charges against him - that make it difficult at times to determine exactly where they stand on the former president.Īnd that’s precisely the point, given Trump’s continued popularity among GOP voters and his rivals' desire to dent his lead without alienating his base. It's been much the same for other challengers. Ron DeSantis, a former naval officer and Trump's top rival for the nomination, said that “if I would have taken classified (documents) to my apartment, I would have been court-martialed in a New York minute.”īut that was just a brief mention in a weekend speech at a North Carolina GOP gathering, during which he focused his censure on the Justice Department and the Biden administration. Some Republican leaders this week have demonstrated a newfound willingness to criticize Trump over the seriousness of the allegations, which include mishandling government secrets that as commander in chief he was entrusted to protect.įlorida Gov. Pence's evolving message highlights the high-stakes dilemma for Trump's Republican rivals, who are struggling to find a clear and consistent strategy to take on the frontrunner as Trump’s unprecedented legal troubles threaten to dominate all other issues in the 2024 presidential contest. Later in the day, the former vice president faced pointed questions from a conservative radio host after refusing to say whether he would pardon Trump if given the chance. “I cannot defend what is alleged,” Pence, who is now challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said on CNBC. On Wednesday, a day after Trump was arraigned on dozens of felony counts related to classified documents, Pence described the allegations as “a very serious matter." Just last week, former Vice President Mike Pence said he hoped federal prosecutors would not bring charges against former President Donald Trump.
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