Trump allies pressure Desantis to weigh in
Former President Donald Trump’s political operation is trying to use the news of his expected indictment by a Manhattan grand jury to turn the strident base of the Republican Party against his expected rival for the 2024 presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis.
Immediately after the former president predicted on Saturday that his arrest was imminent, Trump’s operatives and friendly media outlets began publicly pressuring Desantis to condemn the law enforcement officials in New York, portraying his silence on the matter as bordering on treason.
An aide to Desantis did not respond to a request for comment.
The effort previews how an indictment would jolt the still-nascent race for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump has used the possibility of charges, which would stem from an investigation into hush money Trump’s lawyer paid to a porn actress before he was elected in 2016, to cast himself as a victim of political persecution.
While many Republicans have rallied to Trump’s aid, the comments from the field of declared and potential GOP presidential candidates has been muted.
Some — including Vivek Ramaswamy — have decried the prospect of an indictment that relies on what would be a novel legal theory.
“I called on my fellow GOP candidates @Rondesantisfl and @Nikkihaley to join me in condemning the potential Trump indictment because those of us *running against Trump* can most credibly call on the Manhattan DA to abandon this disastrously politicized prosecution,” Ramaswamy wrote in a message on Twitter.
Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor who entered the presidential race last month, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have not said a word.
But Desantis’ silence is more freighted. He is the governor of the state where Trump resides, which, should Trump be charged and refuse to surrender, could lead Desantis to play a role in efforts to extradite the former president.
Desantis, Trump’s closest rival in every public opinion poll of Republicans about the 2024 presidential primary, is expected to announce his intentions in May or June. But his hopes depend on appealing to a coalition of voters that includes Trump supporters and critics.
Trump’s allies believe that a refusal by Desantis to condemn an expected indictment could make Desantis’ efforts to peel away Trump supporters more difficult.