It’s easy to envision former President Trump metaphorically surrounded by circling sharks. The looming questions: Which one will strike first, and which ones present the gravest danger to him either legally or politically? For Republican elected officials and candidates, particularly those seeking the presidential nomination next year, the challenge is how to navigate these potentially treacherous waters. Do you defend or attack Trump? And what are the implications on the 2024 general election?

Trump is fighting on at least three major criminal fronts and one civil front:

- Dominating the news this week is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation of Trump’s alleged 2016 hush payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claims she slept with Trump during a Lake Tahoe golf tournament in 2006. The grand jury Bragg empaneled is expected to announce an indictment of Trump any day on the theory that the payments represent campaign finance violations or falsified business records.

- Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is investigative Trump for pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” 11,870 more

More from the Cook Political Report

Amy
First Person
Cook Politcal Logo