Republican senators warn that the criminal charges hanging over former President Donald Trump will make the administration look bad if he is the party’s potential nominee, especially in a year when Republicans are looking to win back the Senate.
Although GOP senators have accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) of a politically motivated prosecution against the former President, they admit it will hurt the party’s chances in the 2024 election if the charges remain against Trump next summer and fall.
Trump’s next court appearance is scheduled for December this year, which means the trials could stretch into 2024.
He also faces additional charges from the Justice Department and Fulton County (Ga.) District Attorney.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney (Utah), who was the GOP’s 2012 Presidential nominee, described that it would be a “problem” for a political party that wants to be “considered legitimate” to have a Presidential nominee who has “been indicted… had to plead the fifth multiple times…” and who surrounds themselves with people who’ve “gone to jail” and been convicted of felonies.
However, Romney acknowledged he didn’t believe any of that would stop Trump from winning next year’s GOP Presidential primary.
Romney explained his belief that Trump’s actions were unlikely to have “any particular impact on the primary process or the likelihood that Donald Trump will be our nominee.”
The Utah Senate noted that he didn’t think primary voters considered “electability” but rather wanted to vote for those “they think will pursue what they believe in.
According to data from 2022, it took an average of more than 900 days to bring an indictment to trial in Manhattan.
This data means that if Trump can’t convince the judge to throw out Bragg’s case, he will likely remain indicted and have a legal cloud over his head for next year’s election.
