When the former president warned last week that he would be imprisoned and urged for protests, Thursday's indictment of Trump topped off days of expectation. When Republicans first heard the news that Trump would be prosecuted, they reacted angrily.
Now that it's real, some of Trump's closest congressional allies are ramping up their indignation with everything from symbolic ham sandwich distributions to calls for rallies and promises of retaliatory congressional probes, apparently with the backing of the former president.
Although saying "we don't need to protest" Trump's potential arrest earlier this month, Republican Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reversed course on Friday.
I leave for New York next Tuesday. Against the unconstitutional WITCH HUNT, we must raise our voices! The Republican from Georgia said on Twitter. On Tuesday afternoon, Trump will make his way to court to face the allegations that have been filed against him.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a strong Trump ally, joked that the former president could act violently on the way to his arraignment.
"How can Trump avoid legal trouble in New York?" Graham tweeted out a puzzled look emoji.
"On Tuesday, on Trump's trip to the DA's office, he should break a few windows, loot a few stores, and punch a cop. Immediately, he would be freed from jail. In a following tweet, he appeared to address criticism that the New York prosecutor is too lenient on criminals.
As a clear evidence that the former president is keeping note of which Republicans come to his defense, Trump's team on Friday published a list of more than a hundred statements from Republicans professing support for him and indignation with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
On Thursday, a grand jury in Manhattan indicted President Trump on felony charges for his alleged role in orchestrating hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Even though the indictment is still sealed, multiple media sites have reported that it contains more than 30 counts.
Already, Republican attention was focused on Bragg, who they saw as an anti-Trump biased prosecutor. But, their response now goes beyond words of protest.
After Trump hinted at his possible arrest, three GOP chairs in the House of Representatives requested a transcribed interview with Bragg to discuss the ongoing investigation. Two prosecutors who left the New York case due to disagreements with Bragg were subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has warned Congress not to interfere with its case, calling claims of politics "baseless and provocative," while simultaneously indicating a willingness to share some material to the legislative body.
Several Republicans are already calling for additional congressional action in light of the official indictment.
On Thursday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vowed that the House "will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account," and former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) predicted that "it will ultimately be Alvin Bragg that pays the price for this abuse of office" in a statement.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, stated in a statement, "The subpoenas should now fly."
While Republicans have downplayed concerns about intervention in a prosecutorial procedure, the House GOP's endorsement of probing any "witch hunt" against Trump does risk diverting attention from a wide range of other matters.
