Republicans in the House of Representatives intensified their attacks on President Biden and the Justice Department on Friday after the federal indictment of former President Donald J. Trump. They suggest that Biden, instead of a grand jury made up of American citizens, charged him with crimes as part of a political vendetta. These false accusations continue to undermine public confidence in the rule of law and stoke intense anger in their party’s base against the nation’s institutions.
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, said, “Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Joe Biden is weaponizing his Department of Justice against his own political rival. This sham indictment is the continuation of the endless political persecution of Donald Trump.” House Republican leaders have always closely aligned themselves with Mr. Trump and defend his actions amidst rising pressure from their party’s right flank.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy also promised to hold the White House accountable and added that it’s unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him. The Justice Department specifically sought to distance the White House from its work, appointing two special counsels to review both Mr. Trump’s and Mr. Biden’s handling of classified documents in an attempt to insulate the investigations from allegations of political influence. White House officials said that Mr. Biden learned of the charges against Mr. Trump at the same time as the rest of the public.
Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 G.O.P. leader, suggested that the charges were timed to distract from House Republicans’ investigation into Mr. Biden’s family. This same fake narrative is being propagated by Republicans and further strengthening their base against Biden.
Their tweets speak volumes—“WITCH HUNT,” was posted on the Twitter account of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee within minutes of news of the indictment becoming public. This clearly indicates their intentions behind standing by and supporting Trump who has been indicted for his actions. While Members of Congress have no power to stop criminal charges, interfering with prosecutors through legislative powers, such as issuing subpoenas, demanding witness interviews or documents, restricting Justice Department funding, and publicly influencing the case, is a criminal offence that warrants strict action.
Although Senate GOP leaders, including the top two Senate Republicans remained silent after the indictment, individuals like Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, have condemned the former President’s conduct, and stated how Trump brought these charges upon himself by not only taking classified documents but also by refusing to return them despite several opportunities to do so.
