Donald Trump’s recent indictment by the United States Department of Justice for withholding highly classified documents in violation of the US Espionage Act is still dominating headlines in the United States.
The former president is the subject of 37 charges, a first before federal justice for a president! Trump’s reaction was predictable, he described himself as the victim of the “politicization” of the justice system by the Biden administration.
Unsurprisingly, Trump repeats that President Biden acts on the basis of political partisanship and that the FBI and American justice are engaged in a witch hunt. He points out that his former Democratic rival, Hilary Clinton, and the son of President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, are the subject of preferential treatment in the face of justice.
However, Trump is using the media coverage surrounding his indictment to further fund his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for the 2024 presidential election.
It should be noted that several leaders of the Republican Party have come to the defense of Trump. However, contrary to reactions when he was indicted last March over the scandal involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump is now facing Republican criticism. Is “the Teflon man” in the process of undergoing some challenge within his party? Overview.
Emerging divisions among Republicans
First, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and fellow House Republicans rallied behind the former president. With the relatively shaky support he garnered upon his election as Speaker of the House, and considering the recent internal divisions surrounding the debt ceiling deal, McCarthy’s stance is not surprising.
Second, unity among Senate Republicans is less evident.
Leader Mitch McConnell has remained silent, and the party’s chief whip, Sen. John Thune, has argued for the need for a shift in Republican leadership for the 2024 presidential election.
Then, certain former tenors of the Trump administration and ex-close friends of the former president, including his former chief of staff, John Kelly, his former attorney general, Bill Barr, his former national security adviser, John Bolton, his former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, as well as his former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, have all pointed to the seriousness and seriousness of the charges filed against Trump.
In addition, some of his competitors for the current Republican nomination are showing unease about the future. Some have questioned the notion of the politicization of justice. This is the case of the governor of Florida and closest rival of Trump, Ron DeSantis, who rallied to the defense of Trump. On the other hand, several analysts interpret this as a strategic calculation aimed at seducing the supporters of the former president.
For his part, former Vice President Mike Pence is more nuanced. While criticizing the Biden administration for indicting Trump, he suggests the charges are serious.
PHOTO RICARDO ARDUENGO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Protesters outside a federal court in Miami where Donald Trump appeared on June 13.
Finally, two former governors and former attorneys general who are also in the running, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, have come out squarely against Trump.
Over the next few weeks, we can expect more divisiveness to emerge, especially if more charges are filed against Trump over the validation of the 2020 election results and the events of January 6, 2021.
Where is Joe Biden?
Given the context in view of the next election, the White House has chosen to opt for discretion. On condition of anonymity, however, some Democrats would like President Biden to step in and signal the importance of the rule of law for former presidents, signaling that Trump is not above the law.
However, as we saw recently during the negotiation of the agreement on the ceiling of the debt with the speaker of the Chamber, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden is prudent and disciplined. During this episode, we became aware of all his patience, his openness to compromise and his commitment to the search for bipartisan solutions.
Since Trump’s indictment, Biden has focused on governance and the upcoming campaign for his re-election in 2024. A wise choice!
Clearly, Trump wants to frame his campaign as one of resistance to the Biden administration and its conduct. This is a risky approach, because an election campaign involves several issues.
Donald Trump currently remains the leader in the polls among voters in the upcoming Republican primaries. But he doesn’t appear to be making gains among independent voters, which is essential to winning a presidential election. Also, we feel that discomfort is beginning to settle in some conservative media. These are two other factors that are likely to lead to more criticism and questioning in the coming months.
Given the current outlook, Trump runs the risk of becoming even more vulnerable in his quest for a second presidential term. This is to follow in the coming weeks and months.