Former President Donald J. Trump received news of his federal indictment for the second time while gathered with his closest political advisers in New Jersey. The charges stem from his conduct before and after he left office. Trump’s immediate reaction was political, and he began planning a response to exploit the situation for fundraising purposes. His team encouraged Republicans close to him to issue statements in his defense, and they quickly obliged. Meanwhile, his legal team pre-taped a video of Trump reacting to the expected charges in front of a painting featuring President Theodore Roosevelt and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Trump’s core political advisers see federal law enforcement actions against him as a fundraising strategy, as high-end Republican donors have largely shunned him in the past several years. Trump’s close allies are preparing a campaign to pressure his competitors in the Republican presidential nominating contest to rally around him, leaving most Republicans running in 2024 feeling the need to defend him to appease their voters.
