Before the historic guilty verdict in former President Donald Trump‘s felony case, vulnerable House Republicans had a tight rope to walk.
Starting with his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump has been a polarizing figure in American politics. Candidates in Southern California’s swing districts these past election cycles — like Rep. Michelle Steel in California’s 45th, where voters solidly picked President Joe Biden over Trump in 2020 while electing to send Steel back to Congress — have had to weigh aligning themselves with a president who could turn away independent voters or losing out on support from a Republican base that venerates Trump.
And with Trump set to touch down in Southern California later this week to bolster his campaign coffers, that balancing act just got a bit tricker. His visit comes on the heels of his conviction on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business documents to influence the 2016 presidential election illegally.
While many Republicans defended Trump following the verdict — echoing Trump’s own criticism of the judge and allegations that the trial was “rigged” — there’s been silence from several of those more vulnerable House Republican incumbents and candidates in deep blue California. And it’s unclear which, if any, Republican candidates will pursue the chance to chat and get their picture with Trump when he’s in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.
Steel and Rep. Young Kim, whose district spans Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, did not respond to requests for comment about the verdict. Their social media accounts have also been void of any supportive posts.
A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, also did not respond to requests for comment. His social media accounts of late, too, did not reference the trial.
“It’s a very difficult line to walk. Trump and his campaign have made it clear for some time now that their strategy is to attack the judge and the judicial system,” said…
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