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Missouri Republicans denounce indictment of Donald Trump over hush money payments

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.
Win McNamee
/
Associated Press
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.

The unprecedented indictment of a former president comes as Trump is running for the presidency for a third time — and hopes to maintain his hold on Missouri’s GOP faithful.

Missouri Republicans harshly denounced a Manhattan grand jury’s decision to indict former President Donald Trump in a case involving allegations of hush money payments to an adult film star.

The unprecedented indictment of a former president comes as Trump is running for the presidency for a third time — and hopes to maintain his hold on Missouri’s GOP faithful.

After several weeks of speculation about what the panel would decide, the New York Times and other media outlets reported Thursday that a New York citizens grand jury voted to indict Trump. The exact charges are not yet known, but the case has centered on allegations that payments were made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an affair before the 2016 election.

Reaction to the news from Missouri Republicans was swift.

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt said in a statement that “this is a purely partisan case against President Trump, plain and simple.” He went on to say that the indictment is misplaced when “actual violent crimes in New York City go uncharged and violent criminals walk free.”

“This is a political prosecution in search of a crime, and sets an extremely dangerous precedent going forward,” Schmitt said.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley echoed much of Schmitt’s sentiments in a tweet sent shortly after the revelation became public.

“Tonight’s indictment of Donald Trump isn’t about the law. It’s about power. Raw power,” Hawley said. “It’s the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election. It is an assault on our democracy, pure and simple.”

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, who represents a portion of Jefferson County, said District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case has only been about one thing from the start — targeting Trump for political gain.

“Bragg’s case is so questionable that any respected prosecutor would have long since walked away. The truth will be exposed in the days and months ahead,” Smith said.

U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, said Americans will see the indictment as a “political witch hunt.”

And Rep. Mark Alford, R-Raymore, said in a tweet that Trump’s “indictment is a direct undermining of our judicial institutions.”

“Never before have we seen something like this,” Alford said. “Anyone who tells you this is not political persecution is lying. What a joke!”

As of Thursday evening, Democratic Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Republican Reps. Ann Wagner, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Sam Graves had not responded to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for Congresswoman Cori Bush said the St. Louis Democrat didn't have a statement on Trump's indictment as of Thursday evening.

Will Trump's sway over Missouri GOP last?

News of the indictment comes as Missouri Republicans mull their choices in the run-up to next year’s presidential primary.

Trump won Missouri’s electoral votes in landslides in 2016 and 2020, which resulted in big wins for the state’s GOP ticket up and down the ballot. The former president was especially popular in rural parts of the state, a major source of political power for Missouri Republicans.

Burlison said last month at the Missouri Republican Party Lincoln Daysin Springfield that state Republicans could suffer if the GOP nominates someone similar to John McCain or Mitt Romney in 2024.

“They're not inspired by those kinds of candidates,” Burlison said. “I think that when you look at candidates like Trump, you have to recognize that here's a guy who didn't need to be president to be famous. When you look at other candidates, sometimes you wonder — are they really just trying to get the next rung on the ladder?"

But some state Republicans expressed unease about Trump’s third run for the presidency at Lincoln Days. They contend that Trump can’t win a general election, and therefore any boost to Missouri GOP candidates wouldn’t mean as much if Republicans can’t win the presidency.

While Schmitt has endorsed Trump’s third bid for the presidency, Hawley has stayed neutral so far. Jeff Roe, a Missouri native who runs one of the most prominent GOP consulting firms in the country, signed onto a political action committee assisting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

While polling has generally showed DeSantis a formidable threat to Trump’s path to the nomination, there’s conjecture that the indictment may actually boost the former president’s political prospects — especially if it creates sympathy among the GOP base.

That could be why some GOP statewide contenders, like Attorney General Andrew Bailey and gubernatorial hopeful and current Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, issued statements condemning the grand jury's decision.

Still, Trump’s legal woes may not end in Manhattan. He’s also facing federal investigations regarding his handling of classified documents and the Jan. 6 insurrection. And a Georgia grand jury is looking into whether Trump interfered in the state’s 2020 election.
Copyright 2023 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Since entering the world of professional journalism in 2006, Jason Rosenbaum dove head first into the world of politics, policy and even rock and roll music. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Rosenbaum spent more than four years in the Missouri State Capitol writing for the Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri Lawyers Media and the St. Louis Beacon. Since moving to St. Louis in 2010, Rosenbaum's work appeared in Missouri Lawyers Media, the St. Louis Business Journal and the Riverfront Times' music section. He also served on staff at the St. Louis Beacon as a politics reporter. Rosenbaum lives in Richmond Heights with with his wife Lauren and their two sons.
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