Stunning development in the ongoing legal battles evolving former President Donald Trump, a search warrant executed at the home of the former president. With some perspective this morning, Wendy Shoulder, director of the Tavern Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University, If I'm not mistaken, first time zever happened to a former president where a search warrant was executed at the home of a former president. Wendy, your initial reaction, well, I mean, there's so many things to
think about here. I think that clearly things are ramping up to figure out whether a case can be made against Donald Trump, either for this, which is most of them, I say, an infraction, but it's actually a criminal offense to remove classified documents from the government and particularly president. Everything has to go to the archives or be clear through the archives. But also the January six Committee continues its work on what his behavior was on January six
and whether he actively participated in essentially insurrection. So there's a two two fronts here. Plus he's got a criminal investigation uh in New York State, so there's a lot going on politically. This helps the Republicans mobilized voters for mid term two particularly, they're very very strong Trump supporting base. He's got a lot of people running for office across the country that he supported that won their primaries and not you know, governor of pet Venue who's actually testifying
before January six here in today, Mastriano. So this can have a big effect as the FBI we know in the last couple of years has had on elections. Uh, mid term, short term, good for the Republicans, um long term for Trump for twenty four you gotta say it leans towards the bad for Trump and good for people like Rnda Santis or Christy Nome or Kim Reynolds, any of the other people who might be thinking about running. So why has this been Why can this be used
as political opportunity for Republicans? Can you dive a little deeper into that? I mean, it's a it's a potential double edged store, but you gotta lean towards the positive here in terms of mobilizing voters for the mid term. Republicans tend to get out mid terms up until twenty eighteen, more more consistently than Democrats. Their bases riled up. They've got an opposite party president, I mean, all all things count towards Republicans getting out the door who want change
in the government. Now the Trump supporters who may or may not have gotten out, for all the Republicans across the country, they'll get out because already Kevin McCarthy is promising if the Speaker to investigate the Justice Department. So the stakes really just went up, I think for the stability of government. And it's really extraordinary to think about, as you say, the impact of a former president on the subsequent midterm elections of a new president. This we
haven't really seen. I mean, Clinton had reverb because of Monica Lewinsky going into two thousands, but then there were September eleven, that tragedy and the wars, so things, you know, the subject changed. But now you know this is still going to be about Donald Trump two years later, about Donald Trump, and that's extraordinary. What will be behind his decision whether or not to run for president for? Will they be legal reasons or political reasons? Well, there's also
financial reasons. He's raising a lot of money, which pays for some portion of his expenses because as long as he's campaigning and out there involved in politics. You know, um, the FBC has to decide about this, but he can use a lot of that money to support what he's doing. Uh, So you know that that helps him, uh and it keeps him out of jail if he actually wins. The question is will this become Trump fatigues for key Republican
suburban voters across the country. If the Republicans will like too much on Trump going into mid term twenty two, and you've got also the question of abortion, gun violence, all the other things, inflation, guest prices, will voters decide they want government to focus on those things quality of life matters, not Donald Trump. And if enough suburban voters do that, that could basically keep the Senate from going totally Republican or keep it sort of in that tide
state that it's so. I think the House, I think this will help Hopings quite a bit, But for the Senate, it's unclear. Voters really want to hear about Donald Trump for the next couple of months, either way negatively or positively. Could he he could be legally disqualified from running for president as well. Well. I don't think anything will stop him from running. Honestly, even if they say you can't win, He'll say, well, elect me will change the law. Elect
Republicans will change the law. Give him the Congress and they'll change the law. I mean, that could be the next step for Trump to ramp up his sort of hold on the Republican Party. You can't just say you're gonna investigate Mark Carwin. You have to actually promise to change the law, and that Biden won't sign that, but he can make members of Conference go on the record saying we're going to change the law, so former presidents
can do whatever they want. That's the kind of thing that will start to scare key suburban constituencies, particularly independents and some Republicans about the prospect of a Republican control of the House. And send it together so you know you've got a Democratic president. Then hold the line. But come twenty four, I don't think this overall benefits the Republican Party. We saw what happen in Trump lost eighteen.
A lot of people defected from Trump. So this is a very risky proposition for the Republicans, but I think more so for twenty four than two. Wendy always a pleasure appreciated Professor Wendy Shilder, director of the Talmun Center for American politics and policy at Brown University,