NHGOP defends Trump after FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago

Aug. 10—CONCORD — New Hampshire Republican candidates up and down the ballot attacked the FBI raid on former President Trump's Florida home Monday night, accusing the White House of "weaponizing" law enforcement to intimidate Trump and his followers three months before the midterm elections.

They contend a goal of the raid was to further saddle Trump with scandal as he strongly considers a comeback run for the White House in 2024.

GOP 1st Congressional District hopeful Timothy Baxter of Seabrook said if elected he would try to eliminate the FBI.

"The radical left is running scared, and they are using every resource in their reach to discredit the greatest American president of my lifetime. That's why I am adding the FBI to the list of three-letter agencies that I'll move to abolish on Day One," Baxter said.

"The FBI was never created as a partisan resource to interfere with presidential elections, but it's clear that the original intent of its creation has become blurred by the politics of the day."

Republican state Chairman Steve Stepanek called the raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago, reportedly to search for classified documents the ex-president may have taken from the White House and brought to his estate, "absolutely crazy."

Some media outlets said the probe was focused on 15 boxes of documents Trump reportedly took from the White House that were being sought by the National Archives.

"Biden is doing everything he can to get attention off of his current inflation disaster and cover up the Hunter laptop ordeal. His administration knows voters will overwhelmingly return President Trump — or a Republican that will fight for his America First agenda — back to the White House in 2024," Stepanek said in a statement.

GOP: Timing questionable

U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Morse of Salem said the raid was executed in response to Biden's slumping popularity.

"Whenever Democrats get desperate and low in the polls, they decide to investigate President Trump," Morse said.

"The federal Department of Justice has enough on their plate with our open borders, increased drug trafficking, and rising crime rates without being used for political prosecutions."

Former Hillsborough County Treasurer and 2nd District Republican candidate Bob Burns of Pembroke was one of the first to criticize the raid.

"This abhorrent political raid of President Trump's home is what we commonly see in communist dictatorships and Third World banana republics, not the USA," Burns said.

Karoline Leavitt of Hampton, a GOP candidate in the 1st Congressional District who previously worked in the Trump White House press office, also weighed in early against the move.

"The Democrat regime did everything they could to remove President Trump from office, including stealing our election," Leavitt said. "Now, they're doing everything they can to keep him out. This isn't a 'right-wing conspiracy theory'— this is the weaponization of government against the people."

White House officials said Biden only learned about the raid through media reports about it.

U.S. Senate hopeful Kevin Smith of Londonderry said it's the FBI that should face an investigation.

"Biden's FBI just raided the home of President Trump, a complete abuse of power, yet they bury evidence on Hunter Biden's blatant corruption," Smith said. "There must be an investigation into the FBI, DOJ, and other politicized government agencies to hold them accountable."

Senate candidate and retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc of Stratham said this breeds more distrust in government.

"Regardless if you like President Trump or not, he is still a former president and a different process should have been followed," Bolduc said.

"I will be watching carefully as the facts unfold, but let me say this: They better have a damn good case for what they did."

Dems: No one is above the law

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan was the first leading New Hampshire Democrat to issue a statement.

"Senator Hassan believes that no one is above the law and that the Justice Department must be able to carry out its work independently," said Laura Epstein, a spokesperson for Hassan's office.

James Singer, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, condemned the GOP attacks.

"Republican candidates jumping to attack law enforcement for investigating a crime without knowing the facts shows how out of touch they are with reality," Singer said.

"They will always put fealty to Trump over the people of New Hampshire."

Across the country, some congressional Democrats took delight that this further discredits Trump as he gears up for a redemption tour in 2024.

"Might Trump be questioning his ever running for office. He is facing so many legal troubles and has engaged in a multitude of questionable (understatement) acts that make him vulnerable in so many different forums and jurisdictions. He has more avenues to prison than Al Capone did," tweeted Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, defended the FBI probe.

"I don't really have too much to say except that to have a visit like that, you need a warrant; to have a warrant, you need justification and that says that no one is above the law, not even a president or former president of the United States," Pelosi aid.

But Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said the raid feeds pro-Trump conspiracy theories.

"I'm no Trump fan. I want him as far away from the White House as possible, but a fundamental part of his appeal has been that it's him against a corrupt government establishment," Yang posted on Twitter.

"This raid strengthens that case for millions of Americans who will see this as unjust persecution."

klandrigan@unionleader.com