The first reaction of most Republicans in Congress to the 34 guilty verdicts returned last month against former President Donald Trump wasn’t to do some soul-searching about the direction of the Grand Old Party.
Instead, Republicans on Capitol Hill began designing plans this week to strike back at the state of New York and the White House, arguing loudly that President Joe Biden is leading his party in a giant legal dragnet against Trump.
“They’re so desperate to stop him that they are willing to use the judicial system to do so,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “We have reached a new low.”
As the speaker signaled his support for action, GOP lawmakers called for votes on plans to block federal funding for prosecutors who have cases against Trump — including Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Manhattan’s Alvin Bragg, and special counsel Jack Smith.
“Democrats have turned President Trump into a political prisoner,” declared U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, who called for the House to quickly vote to impeach Biden. She also wants to cut off federal funding for the state of New York — all in retaliation for the guilty verdicts in New York City.
“Things have consequences,” said U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. It’s not clear what House Republicans can pass to defend Trump, though, since everyone knows none of it will get through the Senate.
Only a few Republican Party voices dared to raise an obvious question about Trump: Is a bid for the White House by a convicted felon really the best thing for the GOP?
“A Republican nominee without this baggage would have a clear path to victory,” said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, expressing an opinion few will share out loud.
There was fresh evidence this week of why Republicans don’t want to cross Trump. He roundly attacked U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who committed the mortal sin of backing Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida for the GOP nomination earlier this year, before endorsing Trump.
“Good is actually bad for Virginia,” Trump said in a video, adding the head of the House Freedom Caucus “will stab you in the back like he did me.”
The GOP left town without taking any votes related to Trump’s prosecutions, which wasn’t how Greene might have set the House schedule this week.
“The problems are endless, and nothing ever gets fixed up here,” Greene told reporters after a meeting with the House speaker. “This is like a clown show.”
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at http://jamiedupree.substack.com.
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