Like rats abandoning ship, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) have changed their tune when it comes to the federal government’s indictment of Donald Trump.
The former President is expected to appear in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday after being indicted on 37 federal counts following Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged improper handling of classified documents.
The charges include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements, and a conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Scott and Haley both initially argued and focused on, like Trump, the fact that the indictment was an example of a malicious and politically motivated prosecution.
“What we’ve seen over the last several years is the weaponization of the Department of Justice against a former president,” Scott told Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner last week.
Americans deserve to have confidence in our justice system.
As President, I will purge all the injustices in our system so every American is seen by the Lady of Justice with a blindfold on. pic.twitter.com/Ncrw2MoUQQ
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) June 9, 2023
At the same time, Haley tweeted that the case was an example of “prosecutorial overreach.”
This is not how justice should be pursued in our country.
The American people are exhausted by the prosecutorial overreach, double standards, and vendetta politics.
It’s time to move beyond the endless drama and distractions.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 9, 2023
But the two appear to have had a change of heart, or at least focus, after the Trump indictment was unsealed.
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Here’s How Haley And Scott Now View the Trump Indictment
Republican presidential candidates Haley and Scott, desperate for any traction whatsoever in the race for the nomination, have now seemingly shifted from a focus on the obviously politically motivated Trump indictment to feigning agreement with its seriousness.
Trump could face an absurd 400 years in prison and over $9 million in fines if convicted on all counts. Yet he mishandled classified documents much, in the same manner, as President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence appear to have done.
But now, the process behind the prosecution isn’t the focus apparently.
Haley slammed Trump and accused him of engaging in “incredibly reckless” behavior.
“If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security,” she said in a Fox News interview.
“This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you’re going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would about invading or doing something with one of our enemies,” added Haley. “And if that’s the case, it’s reckless, it’s frustrating, and it causes problems.”
Nikki Haley today w/ harsher comments on Trump indictment.
She tells Fox two things can be true: DOJ/FBI “have lost all credibility with the American people” AND “if this indictment is true…Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security.” ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kTdZtmhYZJ
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 12, 2023
Senator Scott, meanwhile, admitted that he now views the charges against Trump as a “serious case with serious allegations.”
Tim Scott Changes Tune and Calls Trump Indictment a ‘Serious Case With Serious Allegations’ https://t.co/t1TKmjkb4q pic.twitter.com/hQCl50tsPL
— BlackInformant (@BlackInformant) June 13, 2023
Both did mention the motivations of the people behind the case, with Haley saying “the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people” and Scott adding, “You can’t protect Democrats while targeting and hunting Republicans.”
But the change in tone is readily apparent. Scott’s is even more jarring when you consider he’s been reticent in any opportunities to criticize Trump in the past.
Tim Scott flip flops, joins the mobhttps://t.co/9ZiJyb0n8s
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) June 13, 2023
RELATED: Spineless: Only One GOP Candidate Vowed To Pardon Trump – And It Wasn’t Ron DeSantis
If They Truly Believed The Justice Department Is Hunting Republicans, This Is What They’d Be Saying
If Haley and Scott truly believed that the Biden administration was “hunting Republicans” or engaged in a prosecutorial double standard, they’d put their foot down on the criminal behavior and declare that Trump would be a recipient of a pardon, should they win the presidency in 2024.
Instead, they say things in the moment that legacy media wants them to say about the Trump indictment. Grow a spine.
As of this moment, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been the only Republican candidate to summon the courage to declare that he would pardon Trump based on the obvious political motivations behind the Biden Justice Department indicting the former President.
“It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump weren’t in the race, but I stand for principles over politics,” he tweeted. “I commit to pardon Trump promptly on January 20, 2025, and to restore the rule of law in our country.”
We can’t have two tiers of justice: one for Trump, another for Biden. One for Assange, another for Manning. One for BLM/Antifa, another for peaceful protesters on Jan 6.
I never thought we’d see the day when the U.S. President deputizes the DOJ to arrest his lead rival in the…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) June 9, 2023
After the indictment was unsealed, he didn’t flip the way that Haley and Scott did.
CNN host Dana Bash asked, “Given everything that you’ve seen, do you stand by your promise to pardon [Trump] if he’s convicted?”
“Reading that indictment and looking at the selective omissions of both facts and law,” Ramaswamy responded, “I’m even more convinced that a pardon is the right answer here.”
CNN’s Dana Bash asks Vivek Ramaswamy if he stands by his promise to pardon Trump if convicted:
“Reading that indictment and looking at the selective omissions of both fact and law, I’m even more convinced that a pardon is the right answer here.” pic.twitter.com/d9Mr2Eautj
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 11, 2023
And that, right there, is how you do it.
Perhaps Nikki Haley and Tim Scott need to be taking notes.
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