Republican leaders rally behind Trump after indictment and refuse extradition requests.

Republican rivals for the 2024 presidential nomination have come to the defense of former President Donald Trump after he was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan. Many of his potential rivals have claimed that the potential prosecution is politically motivated rather than based on any criminal wrongdoing. The rush to defend Trump could enhance his political power within the GOP, at least in the short term, as he leads most polls for the nomination. However, top Democrats and conservative Trump critics countered that nobody is above the law and that people shouldn’t jump to conclusions.