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The unprecedented indictment of former President Trump creates a political puzzle and problem for Republican leaders in Washington who are divided over how to respond to it and have differing views about what it means for the future of their party. 

Some Republicans, such as Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), are lambasting the indictment as an “abuse of power” and a “weaponization” of the justice system, predicting it will fuel public support for Trump in 2024.  

“The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” McCarthy declared last week.  

But other prominent Republicans, who want the party to move past Trump, such as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate GOP Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), are staying quiet about the news bombshell.  

“It seems like he’s gotten the base strongly behind him. Does that change over time? We’ll see, especially since there’s more legal trouble going on,” said one Senate Republican aide. “It’s probably prudent for Republicans to take a deep breath and see what he’s actually charged with. 

“It’s a puzzle right now and no one really knows how this all plays out, politically and legally,” the aide added.  

The aide warned that Republicans racing to defend Trump have “really put themselves out there on a limb.”  

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an advisor to the Senate GOP leadership team, said last month he would prefer to see House Republicans working on the issues that helped them win the majority instead of battling with Bragg.  

He offered a measured statement on the indictment. 

“It looks to me like this is an opportunity for this DA to make headlines and gain publicity,” he said Friday.  

Some of Trump’s critics within the party think that even if the latest development helps him consolidate support in the party, it may further weaken his viability in a general-election matchup against President Biden and hurt the GOP brand.  

“I really, truly think that there is fatigue over the circus that comes with Donald Trump. I think a lot of people want to support him and be supportive of him and agree with him on the policies but are fatigued by the circus,” said Matt Dole, a Republican consultant based in Ohio, a Senate battleground in 2024.  

Dole said the silence of prominent Republicans such as McConnell and Thune reflects that “fatigue.” 

“I think you’re seeing people just tired of the circus,” he said, noting GOP leaders are bracing for the possibility of additional indictments from Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.  

“There’s no doubt that you could make the case that this is a politically motivated indictment,” he said of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump. “Republicans can think it’s a political indictment and also be sick of the circus. 

“If you think that other indictments are coming and you’re fatigued, the notion of coming out and saying, ‘This is a political indictment,’ well, then the next one you’re going to have to say something,” he added. “Staying quiet then I think is just an acknowledgement that there’s more to come and we’re going to let him sort it out in the court.”  

One Republican strategist said Trump already struggled with swing suburban voters because of his pugnacious style and penchant for controversy. 

“An indictment like this with two more potentially coming down in the future really hurts his chances to win back these suburban voters,” the strategist said.  

“For any Republican candidate to succeed in a presidential race, they need to bring these right-of-center voters back into the fold and this latest development really hurts his chances to be the best candidate do that,” the strategist said.  

Other Republicans think the indictment will pave the way for Trump to win the nomination next year.  

“I think this is an enormous political gift to Donald Trump,” Cruz said on his podcast, “Verdict.”  

“If I were a Democrat, I might well report Alvin Bragg to the Federal Election Commission for making the single greatest in-kind contribution to a presidential campaign in history,” he added. “This will help Trump.”  

Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University, predicted the indictment will strengthen Trump’s support from the Republican base.  

“I think it solidifies in a general election that portion of the Republican electorate that for a long time has been committed to Donald Trump. I think they’ll stick to him like a stamp sticks to a love letter,” he said.  

And he projected “there may be initial sympathy” for Trump from independent and swing voters. 

“That may be based on the complexity of the charges, which of course we haven’t seen yet,” he added, noting that Democrats did well in the 1998 midterm election after House Republicans impeached him for having an affair with a White House intern.  

Some Republican strategists think Bragg’s case could stretch out for months, well into the 2024 election cycle.  

“If it’s being litigated, it’s going to be in appeals court, they’re going to be appealing different aspects of the case,” said Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide. “It’s helping Trump raise money now, no doubt. 

“It’s going to help Trump raise a lot of money for his re-election,” he added. 

Trump’s campaign and allied groups, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, sent out fundraising appeals citing the indictment immediately after news of it broke Thursday.  Darling said McConnell’s early silence on Trump’s indictment wasn’t surprising.  

“McConnell doesn’t like Trump. He’s not going to make any statement that would be beneficial to Trump’s potential re-election,” he said.  

Thune, who has stood in as the Senate Republican leader in recent weeks while McConnell recuperates from a concussion, indicated that Republicans are getting tired of having to regularly answer questions about Trump’s legal problems instead of talking about President Biden’s record or problems afflicting the economy, such as inflation.  

Asked if it’s frustrating to keep on getting sucked into Trump’s legal dramas, Thune replied: “What do you think? 

At the same time, Thune acknowledged that “a lot of our members, colleagues” are wondering why the Manhattan district attorney is prioritizing charges against Trump that other prosecutors have declined to pursue “when there are so many serious crime issues in New York.”  

Bragg has come under fire from Republican lawmakers for circulating a memo to prosecutors in January of last year advising them to only seek prison sentences for the most serious crimes.  

His record of downgrading 52 percent of the felony cases in his jurisdiction down to misdemeanors and winning convictions in just over 50 percent of felony cases has also drawn criticism.  

“How can President Trump avoid prosecution in New York?” asked Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a tweet Thursday.

“On the way to the DA’s office on Tuesday, Trump should smash some window, rob a few shops and punch a cop. He would be released IMMEDIATELY!” he wrote in a follow-up tweet.     

Even Republicans who aren’t viewed as staunch Trump allies see it as good politics to rally to his defense given Bragg’s record in New York and the support from Color of Change PAC, a group that accepted money from financier George Soros.   Biden’s nominee for Labor secretary on shaky ground in Senate Democratic group launches opposition database targeting DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Trump’s leading rival for the presidential nomination, said Thursday that Florida would not assist with any extradition request Bragg may make to bring Trump to stand trial in New York. No such request was likely to come given Trump’s willingness to go to New York, but the statement showed DeSantis wanted to be seen as standing up to Bragg.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (Wyo.), the third-ranking member of Senate GOP leadership team, accused Bragg of acting on political motives.  

“If it was anyone other than President Trump, a case like this would never be brought,” he said. “Instead of ordering political hit jobs, New York prosecutors should focus on getting violent criminals off the streets.”  

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‘I still have hope’: Parents of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fear he’ll be one of last freed

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'I still have hope': Parents of IDF soldier taken hostage by Hamas fear he'll be one of last freed

Yehuda searches through a downstairs room looking for a plastic bag containing the most precious of objects.

It’s a small, blackened Rubik’s Cube that belongs to Yehuda’s son Nimrod – one of 20 living Israeli hostages still being held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

It was found in Nimrod’s burnt-out tank after the October 7th attacks.

“He likes PlayStation and Rubik’s Cube,” says Nimrod’s mother, Vicky.

“They found the Rubik’s Cube in the tank. It was complete but a little bit dark and they brought it back to us.”

Stills from Holland PKG of Vicky Cohen whose son Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
Image:
Vicky Cohen

We spoke to Nimrod’s parents Yehuda and Vicky about the emotional rollercoaster hostage families in Israel are going through – as hope rises and fades of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

“I still have hope that maybe I will see Nimrod again,” says Vicky.

“It almost breaks my heart because I still had expectation,” she says – in spite of the latest failure to find resolution in talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha.

“But I still have hope that maybe something good will happen,” she says.

Rubik's cube owned by Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
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Nimrod’s charred Rubik’s Cube

Vicky says: “We heard [during] the last weeks, President Trump saying we will hear about a ceasefire soon – next week – in a few days.

“We heard our prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] say visiting Washington and meeting Trump was very successful – and heard members of the coalition talking about our prime minister eventually understanding he needs to end the war. But until now nothing.”

The delegation coming back to Israel doesn’t mean a total collapse of ceasefire talks, but US envoy Steve Witkoff said the response to the latest ceasefire proposals by Hamas showed “a lack of desire”.

And so the rollercoaster of emotion for the hostage families continues.

Middle East latest: Gaza aid airdrops a ‘smokescreen’

Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas
Image:
Nimrod

Nimrod’s father Yehuda Cohen said: “Of course it’s a disappointment but it’s not the first one. A long time ago I learned not to get my expectations up so the disappointment won’t be too deep.

“The solution is very simple – I’ve got it on my shirt – ceasefire and hostage deal. Meaning the only way to get all the hostages is ending the war.”

Stills from Holland PKG on Yehuda Cohen (pictured) whose son Nimrod Cohen is being held hostage by Hamas
Image:
Nimrod’s father Yehuda

Yehuda shows us Nimrod’s bedroom at the family home. It’s exactly as it was when Nimrod left to return to his army duties a few days before the October 7 attacks.

Except in a corner, there’s a box of uniforms and personal possessions, including a wallet which Nimrod had left at his army outpost – all returned to the family by the IDF.

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Stills from Holland PKG on Yehuda and Vicky Cohen's son Nimrod Cohen, an 19 y/o IDF soldier, who is being held hostage by Hamas.
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The IDF handed Nimrod’s parents a box of his possessions left at his army outpost

It’s just like the bedroom of any other teenager – Nimrod was 19 when he was kidnapped. But two birthdays have passed since then. Nimrod is 21 now – a milestone spent in captivity a few weeks ago.

It’s believed there are 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza – all male – and that Hamas is holding the bodies of 27 more hostages who have been killed.

Read more from Sky News:
Israel resumes airdrops into Gaza
Bob Geldof accuses Israel of ‘lying’
25% of children malnourished, charity says

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Starvation in Gaza continues

But even if a deal is agreed, the first phase is expected to secure the release of only half of the living hostages – and Nimrod’s parents say their son, as a soldier, is not likely to be one of the 10.

Yehuda says: “A partial deal means that the probability my son will be on that list is close to zero. So he’s going to be one of the last ones to be released, and that’s why we have to fight.”

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Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of ‘lying’ about starvation in Gaza

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Bob Geldof accuses Israeli authorities of 'lying' about starvation in Gaza

Bob Geldof has accused the Israeli authorities of “lying” about starvation in Gaza – after Israel’s government spokesperson claimed there was “no famine caused by Israel”.

Earlier this week, David Mencer claimed that Hamas “starves its own people” while on The News Hour with Mark Austin, denying that Israel was responsible for mass hunger in Gaza.

Appearing on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Geldof said the claims are false.

Follow latest: Gaza aid airdrops a ‘smokescreen’ and ‘distraction’

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Israel challenged on starvation in Gaza

Sir Trevor asked the Live Aid organiser: “The Israeli view is that there is no famine caused by Israel, there’s a manmade shortage, but it’s been engineered by Hamas.

“I guess the Israelis would say we don’t see much criticism from your side of Hamas.”

In response, Geldof said “that’s a false equivalence” and “the Israeli authorities are lying”.

The singer then added: “They’re lying. [Benjamin] Netanyahu lies, is a liar. The IDF are lying. They’re dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers.

“And while they arrive to accept the tiny amount of food that this sort of set up pantomime outfit, the Gaza Humanitarian Front, I would call it, as they dangle it, then they’re shot wantonly.

“This month, up to now, 1,000 children or 1,000 people have died of starvation. I’m really not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”

He added: “If the newsfeeds and social feeds weren’t so censored in Israel, I imagine that the Israeli people would not permit what has been done in their name.”

Asked about the UK government’s reaction, Geldof said it was “not enough”.

“This is a distraction thing about ‘let’s recognise the state ‘ – absolutely, it should have been done ages ago, but it’s not going to make any material difference,” he said, referring to calls for Sir Keir Starmer to recognise Palestine as a state.

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Gaza: ‘This is man-made starvation’

In the Sky News interview earlier this week, Mr Mencer added: “This suffering exists because Hamas made it so. Here are the facts. Aid is flowing, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Millions of meals are being delivered directly to civilians.”

He also claimed that, since May, more than 4,400 aid trucks had entered Gaza carrying supplies.

It comes after MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished.

The charity said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels, and said that at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks.

MSF then described the lack of food and water on the ground “unconscionable”.

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Aid waiting to be distributed in Gaza

In a statement to Sky News, an Israeli security official said that “despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip”.

It then blamed other groups for issues delivering aid. They said: “Over the past month, we have witnessed a significant decline in the collection of aid from the crossings into the Gaza Strip by international aid organisations.

“The delays in collection by the UN and international organisations harm the situation and the food security of Gaza’s residents.”

Read more:
What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
Surgeon claims IDF ‘deliberately’ shooting boys at Gaza aid points
Security shot at Palestinians at Gaza aid centre – ex-guard

The IDF also told Sky News: “The IDF allows the American civilian organisation (GHF) to distribute aid to Gaza residents independently, and operates in proximity to the new distribution zones to enable the distribution alongside the continuation of IDF operational activities in the Gaza Strip.

“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted in the Southern Command and instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned.

“The aforementioned incidents are under review by the competent authorities in the IDF.”

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Five killed after Russia and Ukraine trade aerial bombardments

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Five killed after Russia and Ukraine trade aerial bombardments

At least five people have been killed after Russia and Ukraine traded aerial bombardments overnight, officials have said.

In Ukraine, the southern region of Dnipro and the northeastern region of Sumy were attacked by rockets and drones.

The head of the Dnipro regional administration, Serhii Lysak, said at least three people had died and at least five were injured.

A man stands next to burned cars in Dnipro. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A man stands next to burned cars in Dnipro. Pic: Reuters

In the city of Dnipro, a multi-storey building and businesses were damaged in the strike, and a fire engulfed a shopping centre in the region.

The military administration in Sumy said three people were injured.

Over three hours, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, was hit by four guided aerial bombs, two ballistic missiles and 15 drones.

In a Telegram post, its mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said high-rise residential buildings, local businesses, roads and the communication network were damaged.

He said at least five people were injured, including three rescue workers hit in a double tap strike, where a second attack targets emergency workers trying to help those wounded in the initial attack.

In total, Russia targeted Ukraine with 208 drones and 27 missiles overnight, according to the daily air force report.

It said air defence and electronic warfare took down or intercepted 183 drones and 17 missiles, but hits from 10 missiles and 25 drones had been recorded in nine locations, according to preliminary data.

Read more:
25% of young children now malnourished in Gaza, charity says
Huge security operation as Trump tees off at his golf course

Employees walk past a damaged shopping centre in the city of Kamianske in the Dnipro region. Pic: Reuters
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Employees walk past a damaged shopping centre in the city of Kamianske. Pic: Reuters

Officials in Russia said Ukrainian drones targeted several regions overnight, with a drone attack on the border region of Rostov killing two people, according to acting governor Yuri Slyusar.

In the neighbouring Stavropol region, drones hit an industrial facility, governor Vladimir Vladimirov said on Telegram. The attack sparked a brief fire, he added.

Drones also targeted Moscow but were shot down, according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin. They also targeted an industrial facility in the Penza region southeast of the capital, governor Oleg Melnichenko said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down or intercepted a total of 54 Ukrainian drones.

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