The timing of Tuesday’s indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election probably could not have been better for either President Joe Biden or members of Congress.
The House and Senate had just left for August recess — meaning members, except for those drafted to preside over brief pro forma sessions, can largely avoid unfriendly media outlets. As for Biden, he’s in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where highlights of the week include a movie date to watch “Oppenheimer” followed by a walk on the beach, according to pool reports.
Still, the latest news about Trump, who is scheduled to appear in a Washington, D.C., courtroom this afternoon, will likely take the oxygen out of whatever messaging members of Congress and their challengers would like to be talking about in the coming weeks. And the same can be said for the GOP presidential hopefuls, including former Vice President Mike Pence, whose personal notes were cited by special counsel John L. “Jack” Smith in the indictment as evidence against Trump.
