Donald Trump added another indictment to his judicial collection. The investigation directed by Jack Smith led to four new charges, and the former president's rivals in the Republican presidential primary did not let it go without comment. For better or worse, almost everyone reacted to these court developments, from Ron DeSantis to Will Hurd.
Specifically, the special prosecutor will charge Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of an official proceeding; and conspiracy against citizens' rights.
The charges are the latest addition to the judicial burden of the former president, which also includes classified documents, falsification of financial records and potentially the Fulton County, Georgia case.
Here's how Trump's Republican primary rivals reacted
Two groups coexist within the responses: those who targeted the Department of Justice and those who chose to hold Trump responsible for January 6, 2021.
One of the first to respond was Vivek Ramaswamy, who has defended the former president regarding the accusations on previous occasions. The businessman picked up on recent remarks and disassociated Trump from what happened on the day of the assault on the Capitol.
"Donald Trump is not the cause of what happened on January 6. The real cause was the systematic and widespread censorship of citizens in the year before him," he said.
As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans.
While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right…
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 1, 2023
Ron DeSantis, the former president's main threat in the polls, took direct aim at Washington, DC. "It's a 'swamp,' and it's unfair to have to be tried before a jury that is a reflection of the swamp mentality," the Florida governor declared.
Tim Scott agreed. The South Carolina senator accused the Justice Department of having a double standard and specifically mentioned Hunter Biden. "What we see today are two different tracks of justice. One for political opponents and another for the son of the current president," he said.
I remain concerned about the weaponization of Biden’s DOJ and its immense power used against political opponents.
What we see today are two different tracks of justice. One for political opponents and another for the son of the current president.
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) August 2, 2023
There is another group of candidates that are a little less supportive of Trump, led by Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson and Will Hurd.
Chris Christie, possibly the most aggressive candidate against the MAGA movement leader focused on the historical version of the January 6 events stating that "The events surrounding the White House from election night onwards are a stain on our country's history and an embarrassment to the people who participated. This disgrace falls more on Donald Trump," he said.
The corrupt federal police just won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump. This is un-American & I commit to pardoning Trump for this indictment. Donald Trump isn’t the cause of what happened on Jan 6. The real cause was systematic & pervasive censorship of… pic.twitter.com/c1OpZNOl6c
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 1, 2023
"I have always said that Donald Trump is morally responsible for the attack on our democracy. Now, with today's indictment, our justice system will determine whether he is criminally responsible," said Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor.
Finally came Hurd, who did not hesitate to trash the former president. "Trump's presidential candidacy is driven by an attempt to stay out of prison and con his supporters into paying his legal bills. Furthermore, his denial of the 2020 election results and the actions of January 6 show that he is unfit for office," he said.
Mike Pence's surprising statement
Mike Pence surprised many with his response for two reasons: first, as the man who was his partner in the White House for four years, and second, since they parted ways, he had tried not to be too aggressive towards his former boss. However, all of that disappeared in his reaction to the indictment.
"Today's indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who would put themselves above the Constitution should never be president of the United States," he wrote in a statement, implying that Trump is unqualified to return to the White House.
The new accusations against Donald Trump
Jack Smith, the special prosecutor appointed to the case, led the investigation, resulting in four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of an official proceeding; and conspiracy against citizens' rights.
The indictment is 45 pages long and resulted from an extensive investigation, which featured a parade of high-profile witnesses, including Mike Pence and Gary Michael Brown, a senior official in Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.
The current Republican presidential candidate has experienced a surge in the polls every time he has been charged with a crime. In this case, he faces four charges for three different offenses. One of them, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, suggests that prosecutors will target other names as accomplices.
