Trump says indictments costing campaign resources, calls on Supreme Court to ‘intercede’
Julia Johnson
Video Embed
Former President Donald Trump called on the Supreme Court to get involved on Friday after being arraigned on Thursday in federal court over four new charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“It is Election Interference, & the Supreme Court must intercede,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
DONALD TRUMP INDICTED: TIMELINE OF 2020 ELECTION INVESTIGATIONS
Trump was indicted on Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. Special counsel Jack Smith laid out the four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights in a 45-page indictment.
iFrame Object
According to the former president, the various legal matters “require massive amounts of my time & money to adjudicate.”
He noted that the resources going toward his legal representation and litigation “would have gone into Ads and Rallies.”
Trump’s campaign has faced scrutiny over the mounting expenses of his legal bills. His super PAC, Save America, recently reported spending $21 million in legal expenses. This makes legal consulting the group’s largest expense.
While the PAC and Trump’s campaign have been successful in fundraising, the high cost of his several pending cases could make his current burn rate unsustainable.
After analyzing the latest Federal Election Commission filings, Republican consultant Rob Pyers pointed out that altogether, Trump’s fundraising committees and PACs have raised roughly $135 million in the last year and a half. However, they only have about $32 million left.
Trump has a commanding lead on each of his 2024 Republican primary opponents, but there remain just over five months until the first presidential caucus. Despite this, DeSantis has managed to make gains in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state, according to a new poll of likely caucusgoers.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Further, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has amassed a treasure trove of cash on hand, with $21 million at the end of the second quarter. The campaign is also being particularly strategic with how it spends its cash early on. His associated super PAC has also made a massive $40 million buy for TV and digital ads in the fall, signaling his commitment to sticking out the campaign season.
These pose risks to the former president as he looks to maintain his double-digit lead among Republicans and fend off competitors.