The day after former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges in a Miami federal court, members of the GOP are continuing to be asked about the conduct of their party’s current 2024 front-runner.
Here’s what Republicans are saying today:
Sen. Mitt Romney, an outspoken critic of Trump, dismissed the former president’s claim that he can hold onto classified documents after leaving the White House.
“If you’re surprised by Donald Trump and something he says, I’d be shocked,” Romney said when asked by CNN about Trump’s claim. “That’s his MO, which is to say something challenging, outrageous, surprising and see if we can get people to look at it. This is something that’s gonna be resolved over time we have to decide who we want to have lead our country in a very critical time.”
Romney added: “He has the right to defend himself and put out real or unreal arguments.”
Sen. Rick Scott, a Trump defender, claimed Hillary Clinton was never investigated and the FBI never explained why she wasn’t prosecuted. When pressed on his false assertion, Scott didn’t answer directly.
“All those facts will come out and we will see what really happened. But I think Merrick Garland out to come out and explain why Hillary Clinton was never investigated,” the senator said.
Told that she was investigated, he said they need to explain more even though the FBI did explain why Clinton was not prosecuted. “I don’t think they explained why,” Scott said.
Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the GOP leadership who has said little about the indictment, told CNN he has concerns about Trump’s conduct.
“I do have concern about all the news about the misuse of classified information,” Cornyn said. “I happen to be on the Senate Intelligence Committee and I get classified briefings on a regular basis.”
Another Republican senator, Sen. Chuck Grassley, was asked by CNN if he was worried about Trump’s actions, given the concerns he has previously raised about Hillary Clinton.
He said, “The only concern I have about it is what I’m hearing from Iowans. And that is the unequal application of the law, different prosecutions for people of different political parties, that’s the only question I can raise about the two cases that you’re asking about.”
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, defended Trump, equating the former president’s case to the investigation of Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents and calling for the Justice Department’s handling of the two cases a “double standard.”
“I’m concerned about any documents leaving the White House, whether it was—or leaving the Senate. So I’m just as concerned about Joe Biden walking out of the SCIF with some type of classified information as well,” Marshall said.
When asked by CNN’s Manu Raju about the details laid out in the Trump indictment, Marshall expressed skepticism about the allegations, saying “I’m not sure what we do and don’t know” and reiterating his call for equal application of the laws.
“We just want to see the law applied equally, and then let the chips fall where they may,” Marshall continued.
House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman called for FBI Director Christopher Wray to be impeached and accused the Justice Department of unfairly politicizing the Trump federal indictment.
When asked if he believes the House should impeach the FBI director, Norman said, “Yes.”
“Christopher Wray has been a puppet for a long time, particularly, and it’s coming out now,” Norman said.
Norman also called for special counsel Jack Smith to testify before Congress and suggested Smith has a personal bias against Trump.
“Put him on, ask him some questions. He’s a known Trump hater, way back when, so let him answer the question,” Norman said.
“Jack Smith ought to come in, I think he will, and this is just the beginning of a long investigation,” Norman later added.
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy also expressed openness to having Smith testify, citing “serious concerns” about potential political influence on the investigation.
“(Smith) can come in and talk about it,” Roy said.
