Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave a cautionary speech to Republicans in North Carolina in response to the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump. Although many Republican competitors support Trump, they are in a difficult position with the new federal indictment accusing him of mishandling national security secrets. DeSantis fought to defend Trump without angering his loyal followers. He drew from his experiences as a Navy lawyer and pondered what the Navy would have done to him had he taken classified documents — “I would have been court-martialed in a New York minute,” he said. He also emphasized the need for one standard of justice in reference to Hillary Clinton, who had not faced charges over her use of a private email server. However, his comment could just as easily have applied to Trump. Though Republicans like former Governor Chris Christie characterize the indictment as “devastating,” others such as entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy offer their support and even promise to pardon Trump if elected.
