Trump says he's 'never had so much support' as critics rip latest indictment
Trump was charged with four counts related to the 2020 election
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Former President Donald Trump boasted that he’s "never had so much support" the morning after he was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
It’s the second federal indictment brought against Trump in investigations led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who also probed the former president’s removal and possession of classified documents from the White House.
"Thank you to everyone!!! I have never had so much support on anything before," Trump wrote in an all-caps message on his Truth Social app.
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"This unprecedented indictment of a former (highly successful!) president, & the leading candidate, by far, in both the Republican Party and the 2024 general election, has awoken the world to the corruption, scandal, & failure that has taken place in the United States for the past three years," the former president said.
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"America is a nation in decline, but we will make it great again, greater than ever before. I love you all!!!"
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Trump now faces four new charges as of Tuesday evening: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
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As it played out during his first federal indictment and his previous indictment in New York City, the majority of Republicans – both rivals and supporters – rose to Trump’s defense.
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Trump’s top 2024 rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, wrote on Twitter, "As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans."
"While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts," DeSantis said. "Washington, DC is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality."
The No. 3 House Republican, GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that Tuesday was "another dark day in America as Joe Biden continues to weaponize his corrupt Department of Justice against his leading political opponent Donald J. Trump."
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"President Trump had every right under the First Amendment to correctly raise concerns about election integrity in 2020," Stefanik said.
"Despite the DOJ’s illegal attempt to interfere in the 2024 election on behalf of Joe Biden, President Trump continues to skyrocket in the polls and will defeat Joe Biden and be sworn in as President of the United States in January 2025," she said.
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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who is also running for president against Trump, accused Biden officials of "weaponizing" the government against a rival.
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"I remain concerned about the weaponization of Biden’s DOJ and its immense power used against political opponents," Scott said. "What we see today are two different tracks of justice. One for political opponents and another for the son of the current president."
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In addition to Trump, the 45-page indictment charges six unnamed co-conspirators, three of whom are believed to be pro-Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and John Eastman as well as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.