Donald Trump indicted: Three things the Georgia indictment reveals about former president’s future
Rachel Schilke
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Former President Donald Trump was hit with a criminal indictment out of Fulton County, Georgia, late Monday night, serving as another legal blow to the 2024 GOP front-runner.
The former president and 18 others are named in a 41-count indictment that accuses the defendants of unlawfully conspiring to conduct and participate in a “criminal enterprise” following Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.
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Trump was indicted on 13 counts by a grand jury after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis presented her findings from a nearly yearlong special grand jury investigation. He has called Willis “a radical Democrat” and her case “bogus.”
This is the fifth indictment for Trump but only the fourth criminal case, as special counsel Jack Smith released a superseding indictment in his federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Here are some things Monday’s indictment reveals about Trump’s future.
Willis attacks Trump from all sides
Willis left no stone unturned when she released the names of the 18 co-conspirators who will be criminally charged alongside Trump. The Georgia indictment also is the first to charge two of Trump’s top lieutenants with election subversion.
Among those listed are former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani — household Republican names that, if found guilty, could severely affect the credibility of the Republican Party and Trump himself.
Willis also named lesser-known people, such as fraudulent electors, a GOP poll watcher, and a former Georgia county election director, to show how deep the strategy to overturn the 2020 election ran.
By targeting allies in Trump’s circle instead of focusing just on the former president, Willis is looking to build a substantial case, especially as all eyes will be on the trial, given the many controversies that have encumbered her investigation since the special grand jury concluded in February.
Giuliani has the most charges out of any co-defendant at 13 counts, the same as Trump. Meadows is the only White House official other than Trump to be indicted.
Indictment could be point of no return for congressional Republicans
Most Republicans have rallied behind Trump since his first indictment arrived in April, with several calling each indictment that followed an example of a “two-tiered justice system” and the “weaponization” of the law.
However, it is possible that one indictment too many could start to turn Senate Republican leaders away from supporting the former president in 2024. While House Republican leaders such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House GOP Caucus Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) were quick to come to Trump’s defense on Monday night, their counterparts in the Senate have opted to stay silent — minus a few household names such as Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has an icy relationship with the former president at best, has offered little to no comment on any of Trump’s indictments. Other leaders, such as Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), have also remained tight-lipped on Trump’s Monday indictment.
The Georgia indictment could affect Trump’s viability as a candidate in the eyes of Senate Republicans, especially as their party leaders have already turned their eyes to alternative candidates in the 2024 election. Thune and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), another top GOP leader, have either endorsed another candidate or commented that they would not support Trump in the primary.
With yet another indictment under Trump’s belt, this could be the tipping point for some Senate Republicans to join Thune and Cornyn in seeking a different candidate who is not encumbered by legal woes.
Charges out of important 2024 election state could cost Trump
As with Florida, eyes will be on Georgia for the 2024 primary election as Trump faces a slew of candidates hoping to become the GOP nominee.
How much this indictment will affect the former president in the polls is hard to say. Since his indictment in April, Trump has seen a significant boost in fundraising and support from his loyal voter base who believe their favorite candidate is being unlawfully targeted.
Polling has also indicated the indictments have had little to no effect on voters’ choices when asked if the criminal charges would sway their support away from Trump. Only 13% of Republicans said Trump committed “serious federal crimes” in a New York Times/Siena College poll released in early August.
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However strong Trump’s supporters are, their views do not always reflect the stances of independents and centrist Republicans — two voting blocs Trump will need to win in Georgia.
In Georgia in particular, where Trump lost in 2020 and now faces a criminal indictment for efforts to overturn those results, established Republicans may find themselves turned off by Trump’s alleged “criminal enterprise” in their home state and opt to vote for a different candidate, such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) or Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).