Republicans React to Trump’s Call for Protests

Republican reactions have been mixed after former President Donald Trump urged his supporters to stage protests over his rumored forthcoming arrest. While some Republicans are advising peaceful demonstrations, others are warning against any action and possible law enforcement entrapment.

Trump, who is under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in connection with a payment made by his former personal lawyer to adult actress Stormy Daniels, claimed in a statement on Saturday that he expects to be indicted on Tuesday and then arrested.

Trump blamed “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan DA’s office, which he labeled as “corrupt & highly political,” noting that he could be taken into custody soon. Trump urged his supporters to “Protest, take our nation back!” in a message posted on Truth Social.

In another message, Trump said that no crime has been proven, and that the indictment, if any, would be “based on an old & fully debunked (by numerous other prosecutors!) fairy tale,” while insisting that “We must save America. Protest, protest, protest.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not comment on Trump’s statement.

While Republicans have denounced the Manhattan DA’s probe, opinions regarding Trump’s call for protests have varied.

“Don’t Be a Knucklehead”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of “pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing” his office. DeSantis condemned the case against Trump as a “manufactured circus.” Besides, he noted that his office would not be involved in the matter “in any way,” implying that he would not collaborate with Trump to fight extradition from Florida to New York if the former president were charged.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has launched an investigation to determine whether Bragg used grants from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct the case against Trump.

McCarthy urged people not to protest Trump’s situation and claimed that former President Trump shared his opinion. “He’s not talking in a harmful way, and no one should,” McCarthy added. McCarthy stated that Trump’s calls for demonstrations were aimed at voicing opinions and informing people of the case’s developments, rather than taking to the streets.

In response to McCarthy’s remarks, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asserted that protests were an acceptable way to express opinions and draw attention to them, adding that people should do it peacefully and sensibly.

“Witch Hunt”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a fervent Trump supporter, defended the former president’s call for demonstrations. She stated that Americans’ rights to assemble and protest should be respected, adding that Trump did not have to say explicitly that protests should be peaceful since he meant it.

Greene dismissed the case against Trump as a “corrupt” “witch hunt.”

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu appeared on CNN on Sunday and commented that some Americans would inevitably protest if Trump is arrested. He encouraged peaceful demonstrations, not wanting to repeat the January 6th Capitol Hill chaos.

Nevertheless, Sununu admitted that even peaceful protests may become a “political circus” with many uncertainties. Meanwhile, the New York Republican Club organized a “peaceful protest” at 6 p.m. on Monday in New York City against the “heinous attack” on Trump.

In a tweet, Ali Alexander, who staged the “Stop the Steal” movement to support Trump’s claims of a stolen election, cautioned Trump supporters alleged that they could be “jailed or worse” if they protested in New York City due to the jurisdiction’s hostility. In contrast, Rep. Greene suggested in a Twitter post that law enforcement may use entrapment tactics against those protesting in New York City.

Trump’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Republican response to the protest call.