Former President Donald Trump is vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination despite several legal controversies surrounding him.
Two of his potential opponents in the Republican primary — which have yet to officially declare their candidacy — took different tacks this weekend when discussing Trump’s historic indictment.
Here’s what they had to say:
florida governor ron desantis Speaking at a meeting of Pennsylvania leaders Saturday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg attacked him for prosecuting “a former president with misdemeanors” for “purely political purposes.”
“That’s when you know the law has been used as a weapon for political purposes; that’s when you know the left is using it to target their political opponents,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis took Bragg further on Saturday at a rally in Garden City, New York.
“This guy is all about politics. He comes in and his whole thing is he doesn’t want people in jail. He wants to downgrade felonies to misdemeanors,” the governor said, “and it’s really, really dangerous. And then he does What? He turned around and made a flimsy indictment against a former president of the United States.”
DeSantis said that while Bragg wanted lighter sentences for other offenders, he wanted to charge Trump with business-related felonies, which should be considered misdemeanors.
“This man is in politics. He has an agenda. This is not the rule of law,” DeSantis continued, as the crowd erupted in applause that turned into a standing ovation.
Background on the Prague campaign: Bragg ran for District Attorney as a reformer. Since his election, he has aggressively pursued Trump and other progressive priorities, including not prosecuting some low-level crimes and finding alternatives to incarceration for some criminals.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris SununuOne of the few Republican 2024 candidates not to immediately criticize Donald Trump’s indictment, he said Friday night that the former president “shouldn’t be a nominee” and “can’t win” the 2024 election .
The historic indictment created a “circus,” Sununu said on HBO’s “Live Conversation with Bill Maher.”
Asked if he thought Trump was guilty, the governor said: “You know what an indictment is? Like, I’m assuming he is, right?”
Sununu said the indictment “only helps” Trump supporters, but he doesn’t think the former president should be a Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
“I don’t think he’s going to be a candidate. He shouldn’t be a nominee. He can’t win in ’24,” the governor said. “But it builds a lot of empathy and compassion, if you will. It strengthens his foundation.”
More from potential 2024 GOP fields: You can read Virginia Governor and former Vice President Mike Pence’s comments on the indictment.Glenn Youngkin and other Republicans to watch Gentlemen.