Republican politicians, including Virginia lawmakers, quickly sided with Trump, claiming the electoral process was corrupt, biased and rigged.
Reactions to former President Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts on Thursday have been sharply divided along political lines.
Republican lawmakers, including Virginia’s, quickly joined Trump in arguing that the electoral process was corrupt, biased and rigged.
Some political analysts say this is about maintaining party support and unity at all costs.
“It’s sending a message that we need to come together as one within the party,” said Benjamin Mersky, an associate professor in ODU’s political science department.
“In order to get elected, politicians sometimes have to cater to voters’ demands,” said Eric Crabill, director of the African-American Public Policy Center at Norfolk State University.
Crabill, who created “The Crabill Report: Law, Policy, Politics” to educate individuals on law, public policy and politics, believes more politicians will begin to toe the party line as the November election draws closer. “In the coming months and weeks, you’re going to see a lot of individuals who are on the fence start to move a little closer to the party line in order to get funding, to get endorsements, to get visits from other members of their party, and of course to get the support of former President Donald Trump, who is the largest Republican in the party,” he said.
After the guilty verdict was handed down, Republican Congresswoman Jen Kiggans of the 2nd District tweeted that “today’s sentence isn’t about justice, it’s about revenge.”
“The American people see this as nothing more than a politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by people who want to ‘get’ President Trump,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote in a post.
Analysts say most Republican political candidates are tailoring their rhetoric to ensure support for Trump.
Eddie Garcia, a Republican Senate candidate in Virginia, is a proud supporter of Donald Trump and denounced the conviction: “We shouldn’t be prosecuting or persecuting our political opponents, especially someone who is running for president, has been president, or is currently running for president.” Asked if he felt he had to make such statements to be a successful Republican politician, Garcia said he makes them because he believes they are.
Garcia said that having little or no access to the evidence presented to the jury does not disqualify Donald Trump from claiming he engaged in political assassination in this case.
Analysts have warned that attacking the judiciary is dangerous: “The judiciary does not have the enforcement mechanisms of other systems of power, and its legitimacy depends on how the public views it,” Melsky said.
Ultimately, the impact of the trial will be decided by voters.
“Will voters be able to discern what is true and what is not? Because at the end of the day, it is the voters who make the final decision at the ballot box. That is the power and value of our democracy,” Crawford said.
