Dem
51
GOP
49
The day Donald Trump's indictment leaked, many Republicans made a point of attacking the indictment—even though none of them knew what was in it—and calling it political. What's interesting is that very few of them actually claimed that Trump was innocent. After all, it is possible that the prosecutor was politically motivated but that Trump was still guilty of the crimes.
Nevertheless, there were a small but significant number of Republicans who did not attack Alvin Bragg or defend Trump. For example we've heard nary a peep from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Nor has the #2 Senate Republican, John Thune (R-SD), said a word about the matter. Reporters have asked both for their views and the response has been uniformly: "No comment."
But it is not just Senate Republicans who have been keeping quiet. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) was asked Friday to comment on the case and she refused to do so. This is especially surprising since she is thought to be running for vice president on a Trump ticket. If so, she should have denounced Bragg and called the whole thing the biggest witch hunt in 300 years. She didn't.
Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), who is flirting with a presidential run, was also asked to comment. Like Noem, he had nothing to say. Of course, unlike Noem, he is not trying to curry favor with Trump. Still, he is an experienced politician and decided not saying anything was the best move.
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie appeared on ABC's This Week yesterday. He said that Bragg had a weak case and this was not the best use of the DA's resources. Note that statement is different from "Trump is innocent." Christie also said that all the bravado from the Trump camp is baloney.
Larry Hogan, who was governor of Maryland until January, was thinking about running for president but then decided not to do it. Consequently he doesn't have to worry about what the base thinks. Nevertheless, he refused to comment on the case as well.
What about former First Daughter, Ivanka Trump? Surely she was all "rah, rah, rah" and "Bragg is a rat," right? Well, no. She said: "I love my father and I love my country. Today, I am pained for both. I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern." Is that all she could muster? Maybe her lawyer told her to keep out of this for fear of being indicted for obstruction of justice. There is some evidence that Trump actually likes (liked?) her. Is she going to be demoted from being First Daughter and Tiffany promoted? Oh, wait. Tiffany didn't say anything at all.
What about the 18 Republican House members in districts Joe Biden won? It was a mixed bag with them. Most of the ones in New York tended to mildly defend Trump and accuse Bragg of playing politics. But most of the five in California were silent. Another Republican in a Biden district, Don Bacon (R-NE), said he will take a "wait and see" approach and didn't lash out at Bragg. He even said that he had faith the criminal justice system will find the truth. The last thing Trump wants is the truth.
Finally, what about Melania? Not a peep. If there is anything she might care about, it is her husband cheating on her with a porn star 3 months after she had a baby and then committing multiple crimes trying to cover it up. But no, she hasn't said a word. On social media, people are already speculating about who she will date after her inevitable divorce. Pete Davidson is the current favorite, but she is certainly not going to divorce Trump until Barron is in college in a year and a half, and most likely not until he has paid Barron's tuition and expenses through his bachelor's degree.
Speaking of money, there is one small noteworthy side effect of the indictment: the grift. Trump's campaign claims that it raised $4 million in the 24 hours after his indictment and another $1 million in the next 24 hours. Whoever said "crime doesn't pay" didn't count on Trump. Once he internalizes this, he may be guessing how much each crime is worth, as in "jaywalking probably won't get me more than $100,000, but a speeding ticket could bring in $500,000." (V)