Trump's 2024 rivals, Republicans weigh in on another possible indictment

Former President Donald Trump's political rivals and allies alike are weighing in as he faces a potential second indictment.

With Trump on notice that he is facing the prospect of indictment in connection to a special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents while out of office, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News, politicians have offered a range of responses, from more cautious refrains of "wait and see" to calls for him to suspend his campaign. Here’s what they’ve had to say so far.

2024 rivals

Mike Pence, Trump's vice-president-turned-2024-opponent, said Thursday he hopes another indictment is not imminent.

"I would hope the Department of Justice did not move forward. Not because I know the facts, but simply because I think after years where we've seen a politicization of the Justice Department is to undermine confidence in equal treatment of the law," Pence told reporters as he campaigned in Iowa.

But Pence issued somewhat contradictory statements on a possible Trump indictment, stressing that "no one’s above the law."

"The unprecedented action of a federal indictment of a former president of the United States I think it would be extraordinarily divisive in our country, and I think it would send a terrible message to the wider world," he said. "But again, let me be very clear: No one's above the law. And if the Department of Justice chooses to move forward with an indictment, I would hope that it would meet the very high threshold for the unprecedented action of a federal indictment against the former president."

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said he believed "the determining factor for the 2024 election should be the voters" and accused the Department of Justice of weaponization.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has stood out as an anti-Trump voice in the GOP primary, said he would wait "to make a judgment" until charges are or are not announced while noting it would be a "weight" Trump has to carry throughout the race.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took a more forceful tone as he called on Trump to "step aside."

"The [Republican National Committee] should clarify that there is no pledge to support a nominee if they are found guilty of espionage or a serious felony," Hutchinson tweeted. "Donald Trump is the target of an ongoing criminal investigation and he should step aside & put the good of the country above his candidacy."

Senate Republicans

Many Republicans said Thursday that it's essential to let the process play out before judgements are passed.

"I don't really know anything about the details of it other than that the investigation is ongoing and that his lawyers met with the Department of Justice and I've seen various reports, but rather than get ahead of the DOJ, I'm going to wait and see what happens next," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., took a similar approach.

"I think probably first off we have to let the process go through," Tillis said. "We have to wait and see what the indictment is, if there is an indictment, what it entails and then ask me questions when we've got a real situation vs. a hypothetical. We really don't know if there is an indictment what the scope is going to be."

Even Trump's closest allies held off on offering a full-throated defense of the former president.

"I'm not going to speculate," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a long-time Trump ally, said. "If he gets indicted, I'll comment."

"I just think that there's no sense in commenting on anything dealing with the judicial branch and executive branch of government in regard to any of our candidates," Sen. Chuck Grassley said.

Republican Whip John Thune, who has been critical of Trump and endorsed Scott in the Republican primary race, also said he'd wait to comment but predicted that Trump may try to use any future indictment to his advantage.

"My assumption is that most people in in the former president's base of support that's kind of baked in with him and that he will, as he has, at least in the past, probably attempt to use it to his advantage," Thune said.

Senate Democrats

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also said it was important to preserve the presumption of innocence until indictments are handed up and a jury, if convened, does its work.

But Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a former prosecutor, said that if an indictment is issued, it'd likely be a "bombshell."

"If the indictment is brought -- ‘if’ is still the right word -- the standard will be proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That's what the Justice Department has to decide before it brings the indictment because it cannot lose, and the standard has to be no indictment unless there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That's why these indictments, if they occur, will be so powerful in the facts they reveal," Blumenthal said.

Trump was informed in recent weeks that he is the target of an ongoing investigation by special counsel Jack Smith related to his handling of classified documents while out of office. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Smith is also investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Congressional Republicans quickly came to Trump's defense when in March he became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged hush money scheme to suppress negative stories that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign.