Former President Donald Trump is facing his third indictment, this time in connection with his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights, were handed down by a federal grand jury on Tuesday. Trump denies all wrongdoing and claims political persecution.

The reaction to the indictment was divided among Trump's fellow White House contenders. Former Vice President Mike Pence, a key figure in the Jan. 6 investigation, stated that the indictment serves as a reminder that anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy expressed the need for justice system reform. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called on Trump to step away from the campaign for the good of the country.

President Joe Biden remained mum on the indictment, and the White House referred questions to the Justice Department. Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson called the indictment shocking. The federal grand jury in Washington accuses Trump of waging a "criminal scheme" to undermine the election results, including tapping fake electors, pressuring the Justice Department, and repeating claims of voter fraud. The indictment states that these claims were false, and Trump knew they were false but repeated them to erode public faith in the election administration.

Trump's campaign criticized the new charges, likening them to a witch hunt. Trump called the charges a "pile on" and vowed to fight and win. Federal officials defended their work, emphasizing that the indictment is only an allegation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The reaction on Capitol Hill was swift and divided along party lines. Republican leaders came to Trump's defense, accusing the Department of Justice of political weaponization. They claimed that the indictment was meant to distract from Republican investigations into the Biden family. Democrats called the indictment a serious development and stated that Trump must be held responsible if found guilty. They linked the charges to the January 6th attack on the Capitol and called for justice to be done according to the facts and the law.

Prosecutor Jack Smith, leading the case against Trump, called the events of January 6th an unprecedented assault on democracy fueled by lies. The indictment alleges that Trump spread false claims of election fraud and enlisted co-conspirators to assist in his efforts to overturn the election. It also accuses Trump of attempting to use the power of the Justice Department and pressuring Vice President Pence to alter the election results. The indictment makes it clear that Pence is a key witness in the case.

Trump has been summoned to appear before a magistrate judge on Thursday. His campaign called the indictment a corrupt attempt to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election and questioned why it took two and a half years to bring the charges. They stated that Trump always followed the law with advice from highly accomplished attorneys.