NEW YORK (AP) — For much of the year, small cracks in Donald Trump’s political support have been growing. But the FBI’s search of the former president’s Florida estate has unified Republicans behind Trump as almost never before.
By Tuesday, the day after the unprecedented search, the overwhelming majority of Republican officials were accusing the Biden administration of “weaponizing” the Justice Department. And for a day, at least, Republican concerns about Trump’s past behavior and political shortcomings were forgotten.
The FBI search also triggered a shift among Trump’s advisers, who had been privately urging him to wait until after the midterm elections to announce another presidential run. Suddenly, they were urging him to launch his campaign now.
