In an interview on Tuesday, Republican Representative Ken Buck of Colorado, a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, declared that he would not support former President Donald Trump’s campaign if Trump is found guilty of the charges outlined in the federal indictment against him. Buck’s remarks coincided with Trump’s plea of not guilty to 37 felony counts in the Southern District of Florida, including obstruction of justice, lying to investigators, and retention of classified information.
As a former federal prosecutor, Buck acknowledged the seriousness of the claims made in the indictment. He noted that the prosecutors had provided a detailed explanation for why they believed the indictment was necessary. Buck expressed concern about a perceived lack of justice, pointing to Democrats like Hillary Clinton who engaged in similar activities to Trump but were not indicted.
During a CNN interview, Buck was asked if he would be comfortable with Trump serving as president again given the allegations in the indictment. He responded by emphasizing that he would not feel at ease with a convicted felon in the White House. He stated that the case’s outcome, evidence presented, and defense arguments would determine his position.
Buck highlighted Trump’s own words from 2016, when he criticized Hillary Clinton for her mishandling of classified information and argued that she was unfit for the presidency. Buck suggested that Trump’s previous remarks established criteria by which the American people would assess his own qualifications for the presidency.
While acknowledging that Trump is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Buck stated that if Trump were convicted of mishandling information and knowingly concealing his actions, he would not support a convicted felon for the presidency.
Buck further indicated that Trump could face an additional criminal charge in the future, emphasizing that these indictments would significantly impact swing votes.