


Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake called on all 2024 Republican presidential candidates to drop out of the race and endorse former President Donald Trump in the wake of his latest indictment.
"This is the most egregious case of election interference in the history of our country," Lake said in a statement. Trump was indicted on four charges related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, one count of obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and one count of conspiracy against rights.
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His campaign hit back against the charges in a statement that they decried as "election interference" after the 45-page indictment was unveiled. "The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes," the campaign wrote.
Lake, a prominent Trump supporter, came to his aid and called for his rivals to back him during his third presidential campaign. "This (is) a battle that a unified Republican party MUST fight. Otherwise, we will lose this country forever," Lake said. "That is why I am calling on all Republican candidates for President to immediately suspend their campaigns, stop wasting hard-earned donor money and rally around our nominee, President Donald J. Trump."
This latest SHAM indictment is the line in the sand.
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) August 1, 2023
That's why I'm calling on all Republican primary candidates to suspend their campaigns & rally around President Donald J. Trump.
READ my full statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4VhQWLhghj
It doesn't appear that any of Trump's rivals will take the bait and drop out of the race. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd slammed Trump as unfit for office and not above the law in the wake of the indictment.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson used the indictment to fundraise in order to meet the donor requirements for the first GOP primary debate later this month. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Trump's closest competitor, claimed that as president, he would "end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans."
As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 1, 2023
While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right…
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Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy claimed he would pardon Trump if he is elected president, a sign that he doesn't appear anywhere close to suspending his campaign. "The corrupt federal police just won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump. This is un-American & I commit to pardoning Trump for this indictment," he said.
The corrupt federal police just won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump. This is un-American & I commit to pardoning Trump for this indictment. Donald Trump isn’t the cause of what happened on Jan 6. The real cause was systematic & pervasive censorship of… pic.twitter.com/c1OpZNOl6c
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 1, 2023
Trump remains the undisputed front-runner in the GOP primary race, dominating all national polls. He currently receives 59% of Republican primary voter support, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. DeSantis is at 18.1%, and no other candidate polls in the double digits afterward.