Since the former occupant of the White House was charged by a New York prosecutor, many voices have been raised within the conservative party to denounce a “political” decision.
An unprecedented day in the history of the United States. Former US President Donald Trump was formally charged with 34 counts on Tuesday, April 4, during a historic court appearance in Manhattan, New York. The 45th tenant of the White House is charged of “falsification of accounting documents” carried out “with intent to commit another crime”can we read in the indictment* (PDF file).
At the heart of this case, the payment by the former personal lawyer of Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, of 130,000 dollars (about 119,000 euros) to the actress and director of pornographic films Stephanie Clifford, known under the name of Stormy Daniels , to buy his silence on a supposed extramarital relationship with the former president. This payment, which took place in 2016 in the run-up to the presidential election, was later reimbursed by Donald Trump. The latter and the other people involved are accused of having sought to hide this transaction through falsified documents, in particular by evoking legal fees.
Two other files of payments to silence embarrassing accusations against the Republican, before the 2016 election, are also mentioned by the prosecution. “The strategy [de Donald Trump et de ses collaborateurs impliqués] was illegal. This strategy violated New York Elections Law, making it a crime of conspiracy to promote a candidacy by unlawful means.” denounced Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
A “political decision” for Republican voters
On Tuesday evening, the former president and 2024 presidential candidate returned to Mar-a-Lago, Fla., where he held a speech on his indictment. “I would never have imagined this possible in America (…) This case was fabricated from scratch, only to prevent me from participating in the 2024 elections”, he proclaimed to the applause of his supporters.
Within the Republican Party, 93% of supporters surveyed consider this indictment to be a political decision, according to a CNN* poll. Many party figures, including Donald Trump’s rivals for the next presidential election, have widely denounced this indictment and supported, from near or far, the former president in the face of New York justice. Republicans had not been so united behind the billionaire since the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, notes the New York Times*.
Huge support…
Unsurprisingly, the billionaire’s faithful did not fail to support their champion, like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, elected in Georgia. The American, conspiratorial and accustomed to excesses, was present in New York when Donald Trump appeared on Tuesday. This last “today joins some of the most incredible people in historyshe said. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served a prison sentence. Jesus was arrested and murdered.”
Among the elected representatives of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, the president of the lower house of the American Congress, Kevin McCarthy, denounced on Twitter “a scandalous abuse of power by a radical prosecutor”, who according to him “continues its political revenge against President Trump”. “I call on the relevant committees to immediately investigate [pour savoir] if federal funds are used [dans cette enquête] to overthrow our democracy, by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions”, added the “speaker”. According to New York Times*, Kevin McCarthy is referring to a small amount of federal funds used by the prosecutor and his teams to investigate Donald Trump.
Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also lambasted a decision “scandalous”. On Twitter, the latter mentioned “a very clear example of the use of government by extremist Democrats to attack their political opponents”. “A Dark Day for America”, “a political witch hunt”, has followed Representative Elise Stefanik, tweeting a number of support for the ex-president.
As reported by New York Times, three committee chairs in the House of Representatives even sent a letter to the attention of the Manhattan prosecutor, asking him to present documents and testimony about his investigation of Donald Trump. Alvin Bragg did not fail to respond, referring to “an illegal incursion into the sovereignty of New York”.
Voices less critical of the work of the prosecutor have become much rarer in the ranks of elected Republicans. “There is a judge, there are jurors, there are appeals. I think in the end, justice will be done”, thus soberly commented the representative Don Bacon with CNN *. “If he is guilty, it will show. But if not, I think it will be shown too.”
…even among its critics and rivals
Since the announcement of his indictment, even voices usually more critical of Donald Trump have in turn denounced the court decision. Mitt Romney, the only Republican senator who voted to impeach the former president, said that “the New York prosecutor worked hard to get criminal charges to go with political intent.” The indictment, in his view, “sets a dangerous precedent for the criminalization of political opponents and undermines public confidence in our justice system.” The former Republican presidential candidate nevertheless felt that Donald Trump was “unfit” to take up a new term, reports ABC News*.
Republican Francis Rooney, questioned by the New York Times*, remember that he was “one of the first people to break with Trump”. Yet he judges “scandalous” And “stupid” the indictment of the former president, while affirming that this procedure could benefit him electorally, to the point of perhaps becoming “the best thing that has happened to him in a long time”. For Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s former vice president who said history would hold him “responsible” of the assault on the Capitol, this decision is “an outrage”.
Even Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tipped to be the 2024 presidential candidate, has given measured support to his main Republican rival. While mocking the merits of the case – the payment to a porn actress – the curator denounced a prosecutor “who ignores the crimes that take place every day in his jurisdiction”, and that “pursues a political intention”. After a grand jury voted on Donald Trump’s indictment, the governor also said Florida would not help authorities extradite the former president, a Mar-a-Lago resident. “It’s more about revenge than justice”, said Republican Nikki Haley, already a candidate for 2024.
As pointed out by New York Times, this almost unanimous support for Donald Trump reflects a fear in the ranks of the Republican Party: that of losing votes among conservative voters if he did not support his former champion in adversity. The indictment of Donald Trump, which in no way prohibits him from campaigning or running, could even have a mobilizing effect in his own camp.
* These links refer to articles in English.