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Trump Scores New Endorsement Hours Ahead of Arraignment

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Support for Donald Trump is surging and liberals are losing their minds.

Hours before former president Trump was scheduled to arrive at his arraignment in New York City the 2024 White House contender scored a new endorsement

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R- Miss.) announced she is endorsing former President Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary in a statement released late Monday. The Mississippi senator predicted that the charges against Trump will “backfire” on Democrats.

“I support a return to those policies and to President Trump’s effective leadership. Further, President Trump has been attentive to the needs of Mississippi, he has made multiple trips here along with members of his Administration, and Mississippians can count on him to continue to focus on our priorities,” Hyde-Smith said. 

“Therefore, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for another term in the White House and will be working to assist him in winning the Republican nomination for President in 2024,” she added. 

Trump’s arraignment, which will be presided over by Justice Juan Merchan, is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. and is expected to take less than a half hour.

The unprecedented indictment hanging over Trump’s head likely stems from a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges. 

Democrat Group Launches Opposition Database Targeting DeSantis

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Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Democrats are taking notice of Gov. Ron DeSantis…

On Monday, a prominent Democrats group announced an opposition research hub targeting Florida Gov. DeSantis (R), citing the governor’s past views on critical issues as he weighs a 2024 presidential bid.

According to The Hill, American Bridge 21st Century launched the “Ron Desantis Research Book,” which focuses on existing reporting on the governor’s views and record on abortion, entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, education, COVID-19, and the economy, as well as his past comments on the legitimacy of elections and about former President Donald Trump.

The site will also reportedly include information on DeSantis’ record while serving as a federal prosecutor for Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s office.

“For the past year, American Bridge has been hard at work compiling the most extensive and exhaustive public file on 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis,” American Bridge 21st Century President Pat Dennis said in a statement. “This website weaves together all the information we have gathered on DeSantis over the past decade and paints the picture of a MAGA extremist caught up in culture wars, unfit for office, and utterly unprepared for the public pressure that comes with a contentious Republican presidential primary.”

American Bridge has launched similar efforts against Republican lawmakers in the past. In 2020, the group launched a database targeting then-President Donald Trump through his second presidential campaign. The group says it will continue to update its research playbooks on both Trump and DeSantis as it gathers more information about both men throughout the 2024 campaign.

DeSantis has yet to announce an official White House campaign but is widely expected to jump into the race after the Sunshine State concludes its legislative session this spring.

On Sunday, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson became the latest Republican to enter the race.

The governor is widely viewed as Trump’s most formidable potential challenger based on polling data. Some polls in individual states have shown DeSantis leading Trump.

Last week, “The View” co-host Joy Behar revealed she believes DeSantis stands a greater chance of defeating Joe Biden in 2024.

Trump Confirms Timeline Ahead Of Court Arraignment

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Former President Donald Trump confirmed he plans to travel from Florida to New York City on Monday where he will appear in court on Tuesday following his indictment.

“I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!”

In a previous Truth Social post, Trump targeted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who pursued the indictment following a years-long investigation into the former president.

“The Corrupt D.A. has no case. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!),” Trump wrote. “And a Trump Hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.’s Office – Unprecedented!”

On Sunday, Former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. warned Trump against unleashing his usual social media tirades, saying the judge presiding over the case could make matters worse for the former president during an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

“I’ve got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the District Attorney Bragg and even the trial court in the past week,” Vance told the show’s moderator, Chuck Todd.

“And I think, if I were his lawyer – and believe me, no one has called up to ask for my advice – I would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offense, like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering with, by threat or otherwise, the operation of government,” Vance continued.

“And I think that could take what perhaps we think is not the strongest case, when you add a count like that, put it in front of a jury – it can change the jury’s mind about the severity of the case that they’re looking at,” he said.

The details of Trump’s indictment are still unknown because they are under seal until the arraignment takes place.

A source told Fox News that the former president is expected to arrive at the 100 Centre Street courthouse in New York City around 11 a.m. Proceedings are expected to last 15 to 30 minutes with intense security measures in place.

The judge is expected to read the charges against Trump and ask him to enter his plea. Trump will then be escorted out. Trump is not expected to be involved in a “perp walk” or be placed in handcuffs.

The unprecedented indictment hanging over Trump’s head likely stems from a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges. 

Fmr. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Announces Presidential Bid

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Arkansas Governor — and noted Trump critic — Asa Hutchinson announced his decision Sunday morning to compete to become the next Republican nominee for president.

In contrast to the GOP establishment’s decision to defend former President Donald Trump, Hutchinson called for Trump to drop out of the race following his indictment.

Hutchinson’s announcement came during an interview with ABC’s Johnathan Karl:

As Fox News reports:

Hutchinson is the third Republican to announce a campaign and will face off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. Several another figures are expected to enter the race but have yet to do so.

“I have made a decision, and my decision is I’m going to run for president of the United States,” Hutchinson told ABC News. “While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville, I want to make it clear to you…I am going to be running. And the reason is, I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”

Hutchinson has mulled a potential presidential run for months, receiving support from a new super PAC in February.

He remains a long-shot candidate in what is expected to become a crowded field, however. While his only announced opponents are Haley and Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to announce his campaign soon.

Report: Trump Facing 34 Criminal Counts in Unprecedented Indictment

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

CNN analyst John Miller broke the news last night that former President Donald Trump is facing 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in the indictment against him.

Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina reacted to the fast-moving developments on Fox News, telling Sean Hannity that the former president was “shocked” by the indictment. He added that Trump learned about the indictment through media reports and not from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Tacopina appeared on other media outlets this morning:

As the New York Post reports:

“He’s ready to fight. You know, he’s the toughest guy I know. He was shocked, you know, because we really weren’t – I was shocked,” Tacopina said of Trump’s reaction to the indictment. 

“I’ve never been more angry about a charge because today, the rule of law in the United States of America died. It’s dead. It’s dead,” Tacopina said. 

Tacopina added that he believes the reports that Trump will be charged with over 30 counts of business fraud.

“They’ll take each check and make that a count, perhaps, and that’s how they’ll do it because the checks are paid to Cohen,” he explained.

Tacopina vowed to Hannity that Trump would win the case and Bragg would “pay the price.”

According to Fox News, Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at 2:15 p.m. in Merchan’s courtroom on the 15th floor at 100 Centre Street in New York City.

In addition to Trump’s personal attorney Joe Tacopina, a second source has confirmed that Trump has made arrangements with the district attorney’s legal team to surrender without handcuffs. Detectives with the DA’s office will handle the arrest.

Law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, New York Police Department, FBI, New York State court officers, and the DA’s office will meet Friday afternoon to finalize details about the logistics and security of Trump’s arrest.

The Secret Service will determine how Trump is brought in, the source familiar said. 

Trump issued a scathing statement following the news of the indictment.

“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” Trump said. “From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats — the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country — have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”

“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” Trump claimed. “Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done.”

“Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace,” Trump said. “Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!”

Grand Jury Votes to Indict Former President Trump

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges.

The New York Times has more:

An indictment will likely be announced in the coming days. By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, will have asked Mr. Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now.

Mr. Bragg and his lawyers will likely attempt to negotiate Mr. Trump’s surrender. If he agrees, it will raise the prospect of a former president, with the Secret Service in tow, being photographed and fingerprinted in the bowels of a New York State courthouse.

On Thursday, the three lead prosecutors on the Trump investigation walked into the building where the grand jury was sitting in the minutes before the panel was scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. One of them carried a copy of the penal law — with Post-it notes visible — which was likely used to read the criminal statutes to the grand jurors before they voted. About three hours later, the prosecutors walked into the court clerk’s office through a back door to begin the process of filing the indictment.

Fox News reported Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is also investigating a $150,000 payment made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Specific charges remain unknown.

Great America News Desk previously reported that prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

Trump issued a scathing statement following the news:

“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” Trump said. “From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats — the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country — have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”

“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” Trump claimed. “Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done.”

“Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace,” Trump said. “Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!”

Several conservative lawmakers and commentators reacted to the news on Twitter.

This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

Arizona Democrats Sue to Block Third Political Party From Ballot

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The Arizona Democrat Party is reportedly suing to stop a third-party organization from accessing the state’s presidential ballot in the 2024 election. 

The lawsuit targets No Labels, a centrist group that aims to give voters a “non-extreme” presidential option and has secured ballot access in three states, including Arizona. 

Early reports from The Washington Post indicate the lawsuit targets Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) alleging he erroneously accepted signature petitions from the group.

According to Fox News, Arizona Democrats also claim that No Labels which was established in 2010, a registered 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization has failed to comply with federal election laws governing political parties, including donation limits and donor disclosure. Nonprofits are not legally required to disclose donors.

“No Labels is not following the rules for political party recognition, while attempting to be placed on the ballot alongside actual, functioning political parties who do,” Arizona Democratic Party spokeswoman Morgan Dick told The Washington Post. “Arizonans deserve better and voters deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and what potentially nefarious agenda they are pushing.”

Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, blasted the lawsuit.

“This undemocratic and unscrupulous lawsuit is a disgrace,” Clancy said in a statement. “Next time you hear this crowd talking about protecting democracy, remember what they are really doing is protecting their turf.”

Democrats fear that No Labels’ efforts to gain access to the ballot in Arizona and other states could work against President Biden’s re-election.

However, No Labels contends its “unity ticket” would draw support “equally” from both parties.

“At some point in the future, it could become clear that the public doesn’t want an independent ticket or that there is no path for one to win. Or we could find that there are no candidates with broad appeal or the courage to take on this challenge. If that happens, No Labels will not offer our ballot line to any presidential candidate,” the group said in a statement earlier this month. 

The group has courted centrist lawmakers in Washington, D.C., such as Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) 

Larry Hogan, a former two-term Republican governor of Maryland and honorary co-chairman of No Labels, has also been floated as a potential third-party candidate. Hogan has previously said he wouldn’t rule out a third-party presidential bid if Biden and Donald Trump are the Democrat and Republican nominees in 2024. 

Manhattan Grand Jury Shares New Announcement -Delaying Potential Trump Indictment

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Manhattan grand jury weighing an indictment against former President Donald Trump will reportedly not meet again until late April, delaying any potential charges.

A source close to the matter told POLITICO that the grand jury investigating the alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels isn’t expected to hear evidence in the case for the next month largely due to a previously scheduled hiatus.

However, District Attorney Alvin Bragg can adjust the schedule and ask the grand jury to reconvene if prosecutors want the panel to meet during previously planned breaks.

POLITICO reports:

The grand jury, which heard testimony in the Trump case on Monday, isn’t meeting Wednesday and is expected to examine evidence in a separate matter Thursday, the person said. The grand jury, which typically meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, is scheduled to consider another case next week on Monday and Wednesday, the person said, and isn’t expected to meet Thursday due to the Passover holiday.

The following two weeks are set to be a hiatus that was scheduled when the grand jury was first convened in January, the person said.

The unprecedented indictment hanging over Trump’s head stems from a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

Florida Democrat Chair Files Ethics Complaint Against DeSantis

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Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Florida Democrat chair Nikki Fried has filed an ethics complaint against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), accusing him of violating state law by accepting gifts from his political committee.

The complaint centers primarily on a three-day retreat at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, Fla., where DeSantis met with donors and Republican lawmakers.

According to The Hill, the complaint cites several other expenditures by the committee, including $142,000 at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami for a meeting expense and nearly $12,000 for food and beverages at Dirty French Steakhouse in Miami.

“This is yet another example of Ron DeSantis arrogantly thinking he is above the law. No one is above the law,” Fried said in a statement. “While Floridians face some of the highest property insurance and mortgage rates in the state’s history, DeSantis is hobnobbing with special interest donors and lining his pockets with freebies. Floridians deserve answers, and DeSantis needs to be held accountable.”

DeSantis’s office brushed off that complaint as “politically motivated,” and dismissed Fried’s complaint on Monday with a similar remark.

“Just like the one from two weeks ago, we’ll just add this to the list of frivolous & politically motivated attacks,” Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’s communications director, tweeted. “Louder for the Dems in the back: It’s inappropriate to use ethics complaints for partisan purposes.”

Fried’s complaint is the second filed against DeSantis in less than two weeks.

Make America Great Again Inc., the main super PAC aligned with former President Trump, filed a complaint earlier this month accusing the Florida governor of violating state and federal law by running a “shadow presidential campaign.” (RELATED: Ron DeSantis Hit With Ethics Complaint From Trump Super PAC)

NBC News first reported the complaint alleges that DeSantis has already checked all the boxes for someone considering a run for the White House, including making stops in early primary states; writing a book; raising tens of millions of dollars to go into a state-level committee that could be transferred to a federal super PAC; and watching a constellation of supporter-led super PACs and an outside nonprofit group pop up, some with the stated intention of getting DeSantis to run for president.

The pro-Trump super PAC says the combination of those steps violates a handful of Florida laws about officeholders’ accepting illegal gifts.

“This letter provides ample evidence to support a finding of probable cause by the Florida Commission on Ethics that Governor DeSantis, in concert with certain associated political committees, political consultants and a 501(c)(4) organization, has solicited and received millions of dollars’ worth of illegal gifts in violation of Florida State ethics laws and the Florida Constitution,” the draft complaint reads. 

Report: Trump To Blacklist Anyone Who Works For DeSantis

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The divide between former president Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) continues to grow.

According to a new report by right-of-center publication RealClearPolitics, Trump’s campaign has informed conservative operatives that anyone who works for the Florida governor will be blackballed.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the edict, Justin Caporale, who helps lead the advance team for the former president, has said that anyone who staffed a recent DeSantis book tour will be considered “persona non grata.” A top Trump ally was more comprehensive, telling RealClearPolitics that the prohibition would apply to more than just the junior aides tasked with setting up folding chairs and hanging banners.

“It’s a time for choosing,” the source close to the former president said. “If you work for Ron DeSantis’ presidential race, you will not work for the Trump campaign or in the Trump White House.”

The threat comes as Trump enjoys a commanding lead in the 2024 GOP presidential primary field. However, despite DeSantis’ undeclared status, the Florida Republican has easily cruised to second place in most 2024 hypothetical matchups, causing concern within Trump’s camp.

According to a recent poll reported by Axios, DeSantis is leading Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head primary race in Iowa and tied in New Hampshire.

Both DeSantis and Trump received 39 percent of support from respondents in a head-to-head primary election in New Hampshire. 

When asked which GOP candidate is better suited to defeat President Biden, 48 percent of New Hampshire voters said DeSantis, while 46 percent said Trump.

Fifty-four percent of respondents in Iowa view DeSantis as the better candidate to take on Biden, compared to 44 percent who chose Trump.

The split turned personal for Trump when DeSantis responded to Trump’s possible indictment, telling reporters he had “no interest” in inserting himself into “some type of manufactured circus by some Soros DA.” (RELATED: Florida Governor Breaks Silence on Potential Trump Arrest)

“I’ve seen rumors swirl. I have not seen any facts yet, and so I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said DeSantis. “But I do know this: The Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor and so he, like other Soros-funded prosecutors, they weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society at the expense of the rule of law and public safety.”

Trump is known to direct his ire toward conservatives he deems disloyal. Following Trump’s second impeachment trial he pledged to support primary candidates focused on ousting Republican lawmakers who voted alongside Democrats.

“Even after the most effective Republican presidency, Trump is bringing back the loyalty test,” the organizer said. “Not loyalty to the country – but for a single candidate. It’s the American people who will ultimately decide who is the next president and many grassroots see through these desperate pleas for allegiance and instead wish there was a substantive debate about the future of our great country.”

Other sources close to Trump say the Florida governor forced his hand by refusing to defend the former president.

“It is very bad politics. This is a critical moment,” a prominent Republican operative said of the DeSantis decision not to rally to Trump’s defense. “I don’t know of any Republican voter that feels okay about what’s happening with President Trump.” The looming indictment, they added, was “the only thing that matters.”

The news comes after Trump attacked DeSantis during a campaign rally in Texas over the weekend.

A lengthy clip flagged by Mediaite showed the former president’s attacks not landing well with the crowd, who grew mostly silent. “Compared to how Trump’s crowd normally reacts to his bits, the reaction to his mocking DeSantis was practically dead air,” the report said.