WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former President Donald Trump could be facing another federal indictment. The charges could relate to the January 6, 2021 US Capitol attack. For the most part, this potential grand jury indictment is getting a mixed response from congressional members. Some republicans are defending the former president while democrats said no one is above the law.
On Tuesday, Trump announced that he is a target of the January 6th grand jury investigation and the DOJ is giving him four days to report to the grand jury. Being a target in an investigation does not mean he has been formally charged but a so-called “target” is a person as to whom the prosecutor or the grand jury has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime.
Back in November special counsel Jack Smith, whom Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed to lead this investigation as been looking at the former president’s role in the insurrection and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Some republicans on the Hill have been quick to defend Trump. Pennsylvania Representative Mike Kelly (R- PA) said the justice department is targeting trump who is the leading republican presidential candidate.
USVI Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, who is the ranking member on the committee on the weaponization of the federal government, said they’re seeing republicans using the term weaponization to fault any actions by the federal government which they deem contrary to the individuals or groups tied to MAGA republicans.
Right after the January 6 Capitol attack republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R- KY) took to the Senate floor, saying that then-president Trump was practically and morally responsible for the attack on the US Capitol that day. But with this potential indictment, McConnell is staying quiet.
“I’ve said every week out here that I’m not going to comment on the various candidates for the presidency,” said McConnell. “How I felt about that I expressed at the time but I’m not gonna start getting into sort of critiquing the various candidates for president.”
“And I think it’s inappropriate, like you were saying, some of my republican colleagues are defending the president,” said Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D- VI). “It’s inappropriate for me to say he should be in jail because I don’t know what the charges are, I don’t know if he is going to be charged and until I see the evidence that is matching up against his actions that’s irresponsible right now.”
There has been no formal indictment against Trump for the January 6th investigation. This is the second grand jury that could indict Trump. The first was a Miami-based grand jury that indicted him over his handling of classified documents.
