House GOP leaders rally to Trump’s defense as Senate counterparts mostly stay quiet

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are standing by former President Donald Trump after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, although Republican leaders in the Senate remain mostly silent on the issue. This underscores the divide within the Republican Party over how to handle Trump, who remains popular with many party members.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Whip John Thune have not responded to the indictment and are likely to remain silent for some time. The top two Republicans in the Senate have indicated their desire to move past the former president, which is in stark contrast to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has embraced Trump and credited him with helping him secure the speaker’s gavel.

Soon after the news of Trump’s indictment broke, McCarthy tweeted that his caucus would hold Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accountable and that the public wouldn’t tolerate this kind of injustice. House Republican leadership presented a united front. The No. 2 House Republican, Majority Leader Steve Scalise called the indictment “extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents.”

However, no one has seen the indictment or evidence yet, as it is under seal. This could be a reason why both McConnell and Thune are treading lightly. Some Republican strategists suggest that Trump is still very popular among the party’s base, and Republican senators up for reelection need to take that into account. In contrast, senators who are not facing reelection soon are hoping that Trump will fade away.

The top two Republicans in the Senate have openly feuded with the former president, particularly over the 2020 presidential election and the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Relations further soured when McConnell blamed Trump for tarnishing the party’s image among critical swing and independent voters and for elevating flawed candidates in Senate primaries. Trump attempted to lobby Sen. Rick Scott to challenge McConnell’s leadership but failed to unseat the Kentucky Republican, who was comfortably reelected to lead the Senate GOP conference.

Although most Senate Republican leaders remain silent on the issue, Sen. John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate GOP Conference, has described the indictment as a “politically-motivated prosecution by a far-left activist” and said the case would never have been brought against anyone other than President Trump.