GOP Leader Stays Tight-Lipped on Trump Indictment

(LibertySociety.com) – While opponents and supports of former President Donald Trump have weighed in with their thoughts on his indictment, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has avoided speaking about the matter altogether. The long-time Senator refused to engage with reporters who were questioning him upon his arrival and departure from the Senate chambers, while he also refrained from making a single comment about the matter while speaking on the Senate floor. Other Republican Senators have spoken with the media or released statements, offering their opinions about the charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, both released statements, with Murkowski stating that the indictment is “quite serious and cannot be casually dismissed,” while Senator Romney expressed his belief that the former President is guilty, although he said he has the same rights as every other citizen to defend himself. Murkowski also told reporters, “I don’t think that it is good for the Republican Party,” when discussing his 2024 candidacy. Both senators voted to convict former President Trump during his second impeachment in 2021, with Romney voting in favor during the 2020 impeachment as well.

South Dakota Senator John Thune, who is the Senate Republican Whip, told the media that he believes the charges are more serious than the ones levied against him in Manhattan, but that the Department of Justice needs to prove that former President Trump is being treated fairly. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, offered a short statement to reporters, indicating that he believes Trump has a tough road ahead. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, simply changed the subject when she was asked, although she did speak to the increase in classified documents being irresponsibly handled across the board.

Senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, all expressed their belief that the DOJ has been weaponized against Trump, with Senator Hawley taking it one step further by offering examples of the ways he believes the DOJ is targeting conservatives altogether.