Allies of former president Donald Trump quickly came to his defence on Thursday after he revealed he was facing a federal indictment related to a Department of Justice investigation into his mishandling of classified documents.
The indictment comes after a months-long investigation into whether Mr Trump knowingly kept sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago home and / or misled investigators looking into the matter.
According to reports, Mr Trump will face seven charges related to the federal indictment.
On Twitter, allies of Mr Trump remained loyal to him and downplayed the severity of the indictment.
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) claimed the indictment was a form of “election interference” on Twitter
“This phony Boxes Hoax indictment against President Trump reflects the most severe election interference on the part of the federal government that we have EVER seen!” he tweeted.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said the indictment came because Democrats fear Mr Trump will win re-election.
"Democrats must literally shake with sweats when they see amazing packed out Trump rallies and overwhelming winning poll numbers week after week," she tweeted. "They must awake in the night with panic at the thoughts of us winning in 2024."
Ms Greene added that the indictment was meant to distract from Mr Biden’s supposed crimes, for which she provided debunked claims or those with little evidence. She also noted how Mr Biden currently faces an investigation from Special Counsel Robert Hur for having classified documents at multiple locations, including his private residence.
"Joe Biden has classified documents everywhere," she tweeted. "Literally on the garage floor next to the garage door that opens and closes, but the corrupt and complicit FBI and DOJ do nothing."
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted: "There is no limit to what these people will do to protect their power & destroy those who threaten it, even if it means ripping our country apart & shredding public faith in the institutions that hold our republic together.”
In a statement posted to her Twitter, Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) echoed other GOP congressional members’ statements, saying the indictment was an interference with Mr Trump’s campaign.
Right-wing activist Mike Cernovich tweeted: “This is the JFK assassination all over again - they are killing Trump by other means.”
In another post he said: “The deep state killed JFK with bullets. Now they are using briefcases to assassinate those who stand in their way.”
The indictment comes as Mr Trump is seeking a third bid for the White House.
Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), one of the leaders of the insurgent House Freedom Caucus, railed against the Justice Department for the indictment
"We ought to defund and dismantle the DOJ," he tweeted. "I stand with President Trump."
Additional reporting by Eric Garcia
