The ex-president hopes so too. And he has reason to be optimistic. Numerous prominent party friends have already pledged their support to Trump. Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House of Representatives and thus formally the most powerful Republican in the country, criticized the “politically motivated persecution” of the ex-president on Twitter and announced an investigation by Congress.
Also read: Kevin McCarthy is Joe Biden’s nightmare
But whether the party will follow McCarthy is another question. After the disappointing performance of the Republicans in the midterm elections in November, the ex-president is finding it more difficult to convince the GOP’s middle ranks, Republican strategist Matt Dole explains in an interview with WirtschaftsWoche. A growing number of local party leaders are currently reluctant to support Trump. While they support his policies, “more and more of them are fed up with the nonsense that comes with Donald Trump,” Dole said. “An arrest and indictment should only reinforce these feelings – especially since there are enough alternatives in the party that can advance Trump’s populist ideals.”