The latest Trump indictment gives the media a chance to do something they love to do: Get Republicans bogged down with questions on the 2020 election and January 6. Journalists are so convinced that it was the worst day in American history and a direct assault on the very democracy we celebrate as Americans. They have convinced themselves that Republicans are all-in on trying to destroy that democracy, and so they want to get them on the record about it as often as possible.

Some of the other GOP candidates in the 2024 primary have already gone on the record – some with celebrated responses and some that have enraged folks on all sides. Others have waded into the debate, but many are staying vague on the issue right now, focusing on the “weaponized DOJ” talking point rather than the merits of the case against the former president. Regardless, though, each and every one of them needs to steer clear of the media trap here.

You know that the media is going to try to box you in on this, and it’s important to side-step their agenda and focus on your own. Each one of you are now running with the assumption that Trump has hit his ceiling and that the combination of legal drama and dwindling funds will effectively neuter his ability to run a campaign for much longer. If that is the case, then 2020 doesn’t really matter, now does it?

Read More: Reactions to the Indictment

Jonathan Turley and Andy McCarthy Rip Apart Flawed Nature of New Trump Indictment
Vivek’s Powerful Rebuke of New Trump Indictment, Pence’s Response Further Finishes off Campaign
Jack Smith’s 2020 Election Indictment Is, at Best, the Impeachment Case Democrats Should Have Made Against Trump
The People Dancing Over the Trump Indictment Will Slip and Fall on His Next Poll Numbers

Ron DeSantis has already made his pivot. Assuming he can stay on message, he’s potentially back on track. The rest of the field can make a play for the supporters that would leave Trump and look for a candidate they can relate to. The trick to getting them will be to placate their egos and avoid trashing Trump while also explaining that, yes, Trump had a solid run as president in his term, but there’s just too much baggage now and it’s time to move on.

But when it comes to the media, navigating around that is slightly more complicated. They will keep badgering and demanding an answer. It’s easy to get trapped in that scenario, and it’s definitely going to take some nuance to side-step that badgering.

“You are asking me about the previous President and his legal problems. I’ve read the indictment and I think, frankly, it’s pretty weak. But I’m not here to talk about the previous President. I’m running because the current President has directly contributed to a major economic crisis in this country, ignored the absolute chaos at our open southern border, and done nothing about the rise of crime and the flood of fentanyl onto our streets. I’m running because I want our country to have a better future, not to re-litigate the past.”

And then keep harping on that. Nothing else matters except the path forward, not the path we’ve already walked. It’s incredibly noteworthy that Donald Trump, despite all the indictments and all the voters who think he did something wrong, is still tied with Joe Biden in the polling. That’s how weak Joe Biden is, and voters desperately want an alternative to him. This is the moment that candidates have got to start paving that path forward.

If you get caught up in the past – the 2020 election, January 6, and all the other stuff bogging Trump down – you get dragged down with him.

Read More: The January 6 Indictment

Grand Jury Hands Down New Indictment of Donald Trump, Former President Releases Statement
Details of Latest Trump Indictment Released, Including ‘Conspiracy to Defraud the United States’
NEW: Five ‘Co-Conspirators’ in Trump’s January 6th Indictment Have Been Identified
The Judge Assigned to Trump’s January 6th Indictment Is Going to Be a Nightmare