WASHINGTON DT: Republicans in Congress are embracing Donald Trump’s blame-the-US-justice-system strategy following his landmark guilty verdict, and feverishly joining his vendetta campaign as part of the GOP bid to reclaim the White House.
In actual fact really no Republican office holder has risen to their feet and submitted that Trump isn’t fit to be the party’s presidential candidate for November election; some have even moved speedily to bring about his nomination. Few other people were brave enough to stand up for justice when a New York state court convicted an ex-head-of-state of bribery or for the 12 jurors who delivered unanimous verdict.
Actually, any Republican who dared doubt whether he was innocent or viable politically, like his hawkish former national security adviser John Bolton, or top-tier Senate aspirant Larry Hogan, was instantly ordered by Mr. Trump’s henchmen “to leave the party.”
“Whether he is a free man or a prisoner of the Biden regime,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). She is voting for Donald J. Trump.”
She also posted an image of an upside-down American flag which has become synonymous with former President Donald Trump’s January 6th ‘Stop The Steal’ movement that ended with him inciting supporters to violently storm the United States Capitol.
Indeed, this quick response from Republican leaders and lawmakers intensifying support behind Trump after being found guilty indeed reflects how much they have absorbed unfounded grievances of a “rigged” system and dangerous conspiracies of “weaponized” government into their own attacks on President Joe Biden and Democrats.
Instead of disowning escalating authoritarian rhetoric from Trump or ensuring there will be checks and balances during a second term presidency by him republican senators and representatives are overturning long-standing faith in US governance with possible consequences if trump regains power.
On Friday, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) demanded Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo testify before the House Judiciary Committee next month about the “weaponization of the federal government” and “the unprecedented political prosecution” of former President Donald Trump – despite the fact that New York is a state court system falling under state law where they are outside Biden’s purview as president.
“What we’re gearing up for is if Trump wins, he’s going to use the apparatus of the state to target his political opponents,” said Jason Stanley, a Yale professor and author of How Fascism Works.”
Stanley noted that historically many people have failed to take dictators at their word. “Take them at their word,” he advised. “He’s literally telling you he’s going to use the apparatus of the state to target his political opponents.”
Last Friday at Trump Tower in New York City, it was back to campaign speeches with descriptions like those used time after time by former president against Biden as being “corrupt” and America “fascist”.
Trump called members of Congress on a bipartisan committee investigating Capitol rioters “thugs”, and accused Joe Biden being a “Manchurian candidate”, invoking reference from 1960s classic movie showing an American puppet manipulated by an enemy nation.
A memo by Trump’s campaign had talking points for Republicans whereby they could label this whole thing as a “sham,” ”hoax,” ”witch hunt,” ”election interference” or even ‘lawfare’ staged by crooked Joseph Robinette Biden or simply ‘crooked.’
No such charges are being faced by Biden, and the effort of the House GOP to impeach the president over his son Hunter Biden’s business transactions, has largely been frustrated. In a separate incident, he is expected to appear in court next week on guns charges in Wilmington, Delaware.
“This is rigged.”; “This is reckless”; “It’s just dangerous,” President Biden said on Friday.
“Could this happen to you?” He was asked at the White House, and he replied: “Absolutely Nothing. I am not guilty. The system still works.”
In response to Trump’s allegations that it had been done deliberately by Democratic President Joe Biden as part of an attempt to damage him politically, Biden quipped: “I didn’t know I was that powerful.”
He was found guilty of campaign finance law violations related to secret payments made to two women who claim they had affairs with him before he became president. Furthermore, he faces three felony charges involving federal accusations that he tried overturning the 2020 election results among others but which will not be heard until November when there could be a rerun against Biden.
Trump was charged with sexual assault by a jury in 2023 after E. Jean Carroll claimed she had been raped by him and in 2024 a judge ruled that Trump lied about his wealth for decades in a fraud case ordering him pay $355 million in fines.
Republicans across Congress spoke almost unanimously for President Trump.
On Fox & Friends Speaker Mike Johnson amplified unfounded rumors that Democrats were seeking revenge on Trump through legal means. He also called for the Supreme Court’s intervention into this matter.
“I know many of those justices personally on that court, I think they are deeply concerned about,” said McCarthy about it as we do too.” (R).
The outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell predicted an appellate victory for Mr.Trump concerning his crime committed after leaving office while his would-be successors condemned judges even more fiercely than Trump had.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota has called the case politically motivated.” Texas Sen. John Cornyn described the verdict as a disgrace.” “As party leaders we must speak out against this,” insisted Florida Sen. Rick Scott who also referred to it as “Illegal Election Meddling.”
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who is known for her bipartisan acumen, said that the indictment was brought in because of the person involved rather than any specific criminal acts.
Sentencing in the hush money case is expected before July’s Republican National Convention and leading Texas Republicans Rep. Chip Roy suggested moving up that convention so Trump can be nominated more quickly for president by his party.
Republicans judicial advocate Mike Davis, a former top Senate aide mentioned for a future Trump administration position, circulated a letter outlining next steps.
If your response to Friday’s verdict is “we must respect the process” or “we are too principled to retaliate,” one influential Republican suggested you do two things: One was an expletive, and he gave no second choice except: “Leave the party.”
The Senator from Utah, Mike Lee, published his own letter in which he suggested that the White House had “mocked” the rule of law and fundamentally altered American politics. He and some other Senators threatened to disrupt the Senate’s activities until Republicans react.
Lee also stated that “those turning our justice system into a political tool must be held responsible.”
