DeSantis, Scott, Christie and Trump rivals react to indictment

Jun 09, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)

In the wake of former President Trump’s indictment, his rivals in the GOP presidential primary field are giving their takes. Some are promising a pardon of President Trump if elected in 2024 or attacking the Justice Department. Others are telling Trump to end his presidential campaign immediately. Some are calling the Justice Department’s indictment a political weaponization of the government. Others say no one is above the law.

Right now, Trump is the favorite in the Republican primary. Primary rivals are walking a fine line with Republican voters–a divided party with Trump supporters and never-Trumpers.

It’s their job to try to win over all Republican voters, so what they say, or don’t say, could help shape who wins the presidential primary.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took to Twitter to go after the Justice Department.

“Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter? The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all,” DeSantis said.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) echoed concerns of corruption.

“The one thing that makes America the city on the hill is confidence in our justice system, and today what we see is a justice system where the scales are weighted,” Scott said.

Presidential hopeful Larry Elder also slammed the news of Trump’s indictment, pointing to what he called “hypocrisy.”

“Hillary violates the Espionage Act, yet skates. FBI/DOJ whistleblowers tell of 2-tiered justice,” Elder said.

While Trump will have some allies on the GOP primary debate stage this year, he will also face familiar foes like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

“As I have said before, no one is above the law, no matter how much they wish they were. We will have more to say when the facts are revealed,” Christie said.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had a similar reaction, calling the indictment a distraction for the party.

“Donald Trump’s actions, from his willful disregard for the constitution to his disrespect for the rule of law, should not define our nation or the Republican party. This reaffirms the need for Donald Trump to respect the office and end his campaign,” Hutchinson said.

While some candidates have offered their stance on the top contender’s potential jail sentence, some notable GOP hopefuls are not discussing the indictment at all. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence gave no reaction immediately following the indictment. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also chose to stay silent.

Meanwhile entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been outspoken. He released a video response on June 9 promising he would pardon Trump if he wins in 2024.

“This is wrong, this is dangerous. We are skating on thin ice as a country right now. I think we may be heading on our way to a national divorce. What we see right now is a ruling party in our country that will stop at nothing, even using police force to arrest its political opponents,” said Ramaswamy.

As the current favorite out of the Republican primary candidates, the legal fate of the former president could change the course of an election and a country.

Tags: Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, U.S. Department of Justice, Vivek Ramaswamy

KARAH RUCKER: IN THE WAKE OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S INDICTMENT —

HIS RIVALS IN GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY FIELD ARE GIVING THEIR TAKES. SOME ARE PROMISING A PARDON OF PRESIDENT TRUMP IF THEY’RE ELECTED IN 2024 OR ATTACKING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. OTHERS ARE TELLING TRUMP TO END HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IMMEDIATELY. SOME ARE CALLING THE DOJ’S INDICTMENT A POLITICAL WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT. OTHERS — SAYING ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.’

RIGHT NOW — TRUMP IS THE FAVORITE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.

PRIMARY RIVALS ARE WALKING A FINE LINE WITH REPUBLICAN VOTERS.

A DIVIDED PARTY WITH TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND NEVER-TRUMPERS.

IT’S THEIR JOB TO TRY TO WIN ALL REPUBLICAN VOTERS — SO WHAT THEY SAY — OR DON’T SAY — COULD HELP SHAPE WHO WINS THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY.

LET’S START WITH FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS – TAKING TO TWITTER TO GO AFTER THE BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

QUOTE – “WHY SO ZEALOUS IN PURSUING TRUMP YET SO PASSIVE ABOUT HILLARY OR HUNTER? THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION WILL BRING ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE DOJ, EXCISE POLITICAL BIAS AND END WEAPONIZATION ONCE AND FOR ALL.”

SENATOR TIM SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA ECHOING CONCERNS OF CORRUPTION —

SAYING QUOTE — “THE ONE THING THAT MAKES AMERICA THE CITY ON THE HILL IS CONFIDENCE IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND TODAY WHAT WE SEE IS A JUSTICE SYSTEM WHERE THE SCALES ARE WEIGHTED.”

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL LARRY ELDER ALSO SLAMMED THE NEWS OF TRUMP’S INDICTMENT — POINTING TO WHAT HE CALLED “HYPOCRISY.”

QUOTE — “HILLARY VIOLATES THE ESPIONAGE ACT–YET SKATES. FBI/DOJ WHISTLEBLOWERS TELL OF 2-TIERED JUSTICE.”

WHILE TRUMP WILL HAVE SOME ALLIES ON THE GOP PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE THIS YEAR – HE WILL ALSO FACE FAMILIAR FOES – SUCH AS FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR “CHRIS CHRISTIE” – WHO HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S INDICTMENT.

QUOTE – “AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW, NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY WISH THEY WERE. WE WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY WHEN THE FACTS ARE REVEALED.”

FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR ASA HUTCHINSON HAD A SIMILAR REACTION —

CALLING THE INDICTMENT A DISTRACTION FOR THE PARTY. “DONALD TRUMP’S ACTIONS–FROM HIS WILLFUL DISREGARD FOR THE CONSTITUTION TO HIS DISRESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW–SHOULD NOT DEFINE OUR NATION OR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THIS REAFFIRMS THE NEED FOR DONALD TRUMP TO RESPECT THE OFFICE AND END HIS CAMPAIGN.”

WHILE SOME CANDIDATES HAVE OFFERED THEIR STANCE ON THE TOP CONTENDER’S POTENTIAL JAIL SENTENCE – SOME NOTABLE GOP HOPEFULS ARE STAYING FAR FROM IT. INCLUDING TRUMP’S FORMER V-P MIKE PENCE — WHO GAVE NO REACTION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE INDICTMENT.

FORMER U-N AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY ALSO CHOOSING TO STAY SILENT.

MEANWHILE ENTREPRENEUR VIVEK RAMASWAMY – HAS BEEN OUTSPOKEN — RELEASING A VIDEO RESPONSE TODAY – AND PROMISING HE WOULD PARDON TRUMP IF HE WINS IN 2024.

“THIS IS WRONG, THIS IS DANGEROUS WE ARE SKATING ON THIN ICE AS A COUNTRY RIGHT NOW I THINK WE MAY BE HEADING ON OUR WAY TO A NATIONAL DIVORCE WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW IS A RULING PARTY IN OUR COUNTRY THAT WILL STOP AT NOTHING EVEN USING POLICE FORCE TO ARREST ITS POLITICAL OPPONENTS”

AS THE CURRENT FAVORITE OUT OF THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CANDIDATES —

THE LEGAL FATE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT COULD CHANGE THE COURSE OF AN ELECTION AND A COUNTRY.