Republican Lawmaker Uses Donald Trump’s Own Words Against Him

Republican Representative Ken Buck used former President Donald Trump‘s own words against him ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday.

Trump is set to be arraigned in Miami on 37 counts ranging from willful retention of classified documents to obstruction charges in connection with the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into whether he mishandled classified documents after leaving office in 2021. Federal prosecutors are accusing him of mishandling sensitive presidential records and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. Trump, however, has maintained his innocence, accusing prosecutors of investigating him for political reasons.

The indictment has drawn myriad reactions from Republicans. Many have joined Trump, who remains popular with Republican voters and is viewed as the front-runner to win the 2024 GOP presidential primary, in accusing the DOJ of treating him unfairly. But an increasing number of Republicans raised concerns surrounding the contents of the indictment, particularly surrounding allegations that Trump admitted to keeping classified national security documents.

Buck, of Colorado, signaled during an interview on CNN that he would not support Trump if he is found guilty. Buck used Trump’s attacks on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, against him.

“I would not feel comfortable with a convicted felon in the White House, so we’ll see how the case plays out. And we’ll see how the evidence is presented and what the defenses are,” he said.

“But let’s just look at Donald Trump’s words in 2016. He said that Hillary Clinton was unfit for the White House because of the way she handled classified information. He said she wasn’t even able to have a low-level State Department job because of the way she handled information. I think his words have set the standard that America will look at in determining whether he is fit for president.”

When CNN host Dana Bash pressed Buck on whether Trump “is living up to those standards,” Buck noted that he is innocent until proven guilty, but that if he is ultimately convicted, he would “not support a convicted felon for the White House.”

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) says he “won’t support a convicted felon,” noting Donald Trump’s previous rhetoric on classified info:

“He said that Hillary Clinton was unfit for the White House … I think his words have set the standard that America will look at.” pic.twitter.com/eRWsMXo9Xp

— The Recount (@therecount) June 13, 2023

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Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment via email

Buck this month responded to accusations that an audio recording captured Trump admitted to keeping a classified file about a potential attack on Iran by saying those actions, if true, would go “beyond just irresponsible,” during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union.

Other Republicans have pointed to the treatment of Clinton, who did not face criminal charges for allegedly working on sensitive information from a private server as secretary of state, to argue that Trump is facing a double standard from federal prosecutors.

However, Buck is not the only Republican to raise concerns about the actions alleged in the indictment. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley said on Monday that the allegations, if proven true, would be “reckless.”

“This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies,” she said.