Kevin McCarthy and MAGA Republicans rally around Trump ahead of possible indictment

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, and several MAGA Republicans rallied around Donald Trump on Saturday ahead of the former president’s possible indictment by a Manhattan grand jury.

Trump, in posts on his social media platform Truth Social, predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday and urged supporters to protest, citing “illegal leaks.” Hours later, a spokesman for Trump clarified in a statement that the message was released without any notification of the indictment other than media reports from NBC News and other news outlets.

“Here we go again – an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals get away while he pursues political revenge on President Trump,” McCarthy tweeted. tweet.

“I’m directing the appropriate committees to immediately investigate whether federal funds are being used to undermine our democracy through election interference with politically motivated persecution,” McCarthy added.

Despite his recent scathing comments slamming Trump over the Jan. 6 events, former Vice President Mike Pence, who is close to making a decision on his 2024 presidential nomination, said the potential indictment “reeks of political persecution that we were subjected back in the days of Russia.” falsification.”

“Is this what the Manhattan District Attorney considers his top priority?” Pence made the announcement on Saturday on SiriusXM radio.

Republicans in Congress, closely associated with Trump, the 2024 presidential nominee, have expressed outrage, denouncing the potentially looming indictment.

Rep. Alice Stefanik of New York, a third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, called Trump’s possible arrest “un-American” and said Democrats have reached a “dangerous new low.”

“Knowing that they cannot defeat President Trump at the polls, the radical left will now follow the example of socialist dictators and will reportedly arrest President Trump,” she said. statement shared on Twitter calling him the leading Republican nominee.

Speaking at the National Conservative Forum Vision ’24 Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., downplayed the Manhattan district attorney’s case and said he thinks prosecutors are “fearful” of Trump.

“A prosecutor in New York has done more to help Donald Trump become president than any other person in America today,” Graham said.

He added: “If I were President Trump, I would go all the way to the damn Supreme Court.”

Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona tweeted“If they can come for Trump, they will come for you. This kind of thing only happens in authoritarian Third World countries.”

“Virtually every campaign finance violation involves either 1) misappropriating someone else’s money or 2) using money for your campaign that you don’t owe. Trump did neither.” tweeted Rep. Matt Goetz of Florida. “He used his own money to resolve a private dispute, regardless of any campaign.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia described the allegations against Trump as “fake” and “outdated.” She tweeted: “Republicans in Congress SHOULD take these communists to court and put an end to this!”

She wrote in another tweet that “we don’t need to protest”, adding: “These idiots will decide their fate in 2024 because the silent majority is now ambivalent about the current regime.” God bless President Trump. The real America knows it’s all a sham.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio. wrote“God bless President Trump. The real America knows it’s all a sham.”

Senator JD Vance of Ohio, another Trump ally who has put forth his baseless theories about the stolen 2020 election, slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying he “will prosecute Trump while ‘violent criminals’ roam New York.” York.

While the timeline is currently unclear, the former president could soon face possible statewide charges related to paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

On Friday, NBC News reported that local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are preparing for a possible arraignment as early as next week.

Former Trump lawyer and aide Michael Cohen is a key witness in the case. He testified before a grand jury this week after pleading guilty in 2018 to making an illegal payment to Daniels at Trump’s direction for the “primary purpose” of influencing the 2016 election.

Trump said he returned $130,000 to Kohan, but insisted that what he did was legal. The former president denies any wrongdoing.