Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) sharply criticized the 2024 Republican presidential candidates for “making excuses” for former President Trump after his indictment, predicting a contender would only be able to beat Trump in the GOP primary by taking him on.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday (June 18), Hogan highlighted that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) were the only major candidates ready to challenge Trump publicly.
Hogan added that both Hutchinson and Christie were “former U.S. Attorneys that are taking this charge more seriously than some others.”
Hogan — a frequent Trump critic and moderate Republican — was once considered a possible candidate for the GOP 2024 Presidential primary but hasn’t entered the race.
The former Maryland Governor suggested he wanted to avoid oversaturating the field, creating the perfect conditions for Trump to win the GOP nomination — as was the case in 2016.
Hogan explained he was not surprised by Trump’s popularity, which polled slightly higher after the news broke about the federal indictment. However, he revealed being more disappointed that other Republican candidates were reluctant to say that Trump’s allegations were serious and should be taken seriously.
“Trump obviously got a bounce. I think nose of us expected him to get a bounce,” Hogan explained, suggesting Trump’s supporters would rally around him and defend him because “they feel he’s being unfairly attacked and it’s the weaponization of the Justice Department.”
However, he called out other GOP Presidential candidates for their silence or support of the issue, saying, “If you are not going to challenge him, why challenge him?”
