House Republicans rallied to defend former President Donald Trump after the ex-president was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on charges he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, took to social media Monday night to decry the indictment, taking aim at Democratic Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and the Biden administration.
“Justice should be blind, but Biden has weaponized government against his leading political opponent to interfere in the 2024 election,” Mr. McCarthy said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Now a radical DA in Georgia is following Biden’s lead by attacking President Trump and using it to fund-raise her political career. Americans see through this desperate sham.”
Mr. Trump on Monday was indicted for a fourth time just since April. In the Georgia case, he is being charged with numerous felonies, including violating Georgia’s racketeering law, conspiracy to commit forgery, false statement and writings, and filing false documents.
Eighteen co-defendants were also charged, including Mr. Trump’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and the ex-president’s former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. The racketeering charges, which are normally associated with organized crime, painted the efforts by Mr. Trump and others to challenge Mr. Biden’s narrow win in Georgia in the 2020 election as part of a “criminal enterprise” to keep the former president in power.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican, said Ms. Willis was trying to “make a name” for herself.
“Another sham indictment of Trump timed to do maximum damage in the 2024 election — this time with the indictment posted before the grand jury even voted — is no coincidence,” Mr. Scalise said on X on Tuesday. “Americans see through this witchhunt.”
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York called the indictment another effort to “target Joe Biden’s top political opponent, President Trump.”
“This blatant election interference by the Far Left will not work, President Trump will defeat these bogus charges and win back the White House in 2024,” Ms. Stefanik said on X on Monday.
Mr. Trump has said that another indictment would better his odds at winning the presidency again, and he is far and away the frontrunner in the crowded Republican presidential primary. The former president has a 37-point lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is the only other candidate who has polled in double digits, according to data from FiveThirtyEight.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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