Steve Laffey, a relatively obscure candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, on Friday called on former President Donald Trump to end his campaign and chastised his party rivals for refusing to criticize the ex-president over a seven-count federal indictment in Florida.
Mr. Laffey said Mr. Trump needs to step aside while “he still has his freedom,” marking a departure from fellow Republicans who rallied behind Mr. Trump or accused President Biden of weaponizing the Justice Department.
“As I wake up this morning, I am absolutely shocked by the radio silence from the other Republican presidential candidates,” Mr. Laffey, the former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, said Friday.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy vowed to pardon Mr. Trump if he becomes president in 2025, while former Vice President Mike Pence declined to discuss pardons, calling it a hypothetical scenario.
“Let me be extremely clear: [A pardon] would never happen in a Laffey administration,” Mr. Laffey said.
The divide among GOP candidates underscores their thorny position. Mr. Trump is the clear front-runner in primary polling, so candidates must consider whether to pounce on his legal troubles or focus their attacks on the Biden administration to avoid alienating the MAGA base.
Mr. Trump said late Thursday he was indicted on charges related to sensitive documents stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and efforts to return them to the National Archives.
Some candidates may be waiting to see what Mr. Trump is accused of, specifically, before weighing in decisively.
Mr. Laffey says there is no need to wait.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “It’s time to cancel this lowly rated Donald Trump soap opera — and focus on actually turning our country around.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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