Trump’s GOP rivals have vowed to support him even if he’s found guilty of criminal charges

Former President Donald Trump is currently facing multiple indictments on state and federal criminal felony charges. At Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee, almost all of Trump’s GOP challengers pledged to support him if he is their party’s presidential nominee, even if he is convicted first.

Trump refused to sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, making him ineligible to participate in the debate, which aired on Fox News.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott each signed the pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee, in accordance with party rules.

During the debate, co-hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier asked the eight participants about Trump’s indictments.

“Former President Trump has been indicted in four different states, on 91 counts. He will be processed tomorrow in Georgia at the Fulton County Jail for charges relating to the 2020 election loss,” noted MacCallum.

“You all signed a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee,” Baier reminded them. “If former President Trump is convicted in a court of law, would you still support him as your party’s choice? Please raise your hand if you would.”

Burgum, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Ramaswamy, and Scott all raised their hands.

Christie and Hutchinson did not, directly contradicting their written oaths.

Asked for clarification, Christie said, “Here’s the bottom line: Someone’s got to stop normalizing this conduct.”

“Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump was morally disqualified from being president again, as a result of what happened on Jan. 6,” Hutchinson explained, referencing Trump’s role in inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. “Obviously, I’m not going to support somebody who’s been convicted of a serious felony or who is disqualified under our Constitution.”

Hutchinson told CNN in February that he would never support Trump for president again: “He’s going to have a voice, as former presidents do. But there’s many voices in the party.”

According to the Hill, Haley told Fox News on Thursday that Trump will “spend more time in a courtroom than he’s going to spend on the campaign trail,” adding, “Three-quarters of the American people don’t wanna see Biden and Trump run again, and the majority of Americans, he is the most disliked politician in all of America, that’s reality.”

“Look, let’s let the former president have his day in court. Let’s maintain a presumption of innocence in this matter and in the other matter that unfolded this week here in Georgia,” Pence told ABC News’ “This Week” host Jon Karl on Aug. 20. “But I’ve said many times, Jon, I would have preferred that these matters be left to the judgment of the American people.”

Polls have shown Trump with a huge lead among Republican primary voters.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.