NOTUS: “Republicans in tough reelection battles dodged, ducked, dipped, dived and dodged questions about the verdict”
A week since Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts by a jury of his peers, vulnerable House Republicans are still refusing to denounce the convicted criminal.
Instead of respecting the rule of law and our justice system, some so-called moderate House Republicans have refused to condemn the convicted felon for fear of angering their wannabe dictator.
DCCC Spokesperson Viet Shelton:
“If these so-called moderates won’t hold Trump accountable for 34 felonies, how can the American public expect them to stand up to him as he attacks access to contraception, denies the election, and promises to rule as a dictator on day one?”
A week after former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts against him, some vulnerable House Republicans still haven’t said a word about it.
Nearly a dozen House GOP lawmakers in close reelection fights have still not publicly reacted to last week’s guilty verdict, even as some of their political opponents have started hammering them over their silence.
In interviews this week, it became clear that vulnerable Republicans […are] coming up with all sorts of excuses for staying out of it.
Some GOP members suggested they were too busy. “I don’t know,” Rep. Michelle Steel of California told NOTUS when asked if she plans to make a statement on the verdict. “I just came back, and I’m on five different committees.”
Some Republicans tried to deflect.
And some frontline Republicans are just outright ignoring it. Rep. David Valadao of California told NOTUS he’s “not getting involved.” “Nope,” he said when asked if his constituents have talked to him about it.
All over Capitol Hill this week, Republicans in tough reelection battles dodged, ducked, dipped, dived and dodged questions about the verdict. And Democrats across the country spent their time hammering the issue in races against the most at-risk Republican incumbents, knowing the uncomfortable position Trump has placed many Republicans in could determine who controls the House next year.
Schweikert said the only reason he hasn’t put out an official statement on the trial is because “I despise Twitter” and he prefers to discuss issues in longer interviews. […]
Several other frontline Republicans were dead silent on the verdict.
“I don’t know if I have a statement or not on that,” said freshman Rep. Kevin Kiley. “I mean, the case is going to appeal.”
California Rep. Mike Garcia, who also hasn’t put out an official statement on the verdict, said he’s been “pretty transparent” about his views in various media interviews; he’s “not hiding anything,” he said.
“It was a political show trial,” he told NOTUS. “You had what would have normally been two misdemeanors being elevated to felony charges.” […]
Ashley Ehasz, the Democrat running against moderate Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania, said her campaign will continue a “steady drumbeat” of reminding voters in the district — one that swung for Biden by 5 points in 2020 — that Fitzpatrick hasn’t taken a public position on Trump’s conviction. “Brian, at the core of this, is a hypocrite,” she said. “The team and I will just keep calling upon him to actually tell us what he wants to do when it comes to Trump.”
###
Please make sure that the form field below is filled out correctly before submitting.
