Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) dodged a question Sunday on whether the Republican National Committee (RNC) should pay for former President Trump’s mounting legal fees.
Robert Costa on “Face the Nation” asked Scott whether he believed the RNC should pay for Trump’s legal fees which are mounting after a judge ordered the former president to pay nearly $355 million in a New York fraud verdict on Friday. This latest fine comes on top of a jury ordering Trump to pay $83.3 million for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll in a separate New York civil case.
Scott did not answer the question and instead sharply pivoted, arguing that voters do not care as much about Trump’s past.
“I can only tell you that without any question, when you look at the two-tiered justice system that we have that I just re– reinforced, I think it’s important for us to note that without any question, the American people are very concerned about how that would impact their lives,” Scott replied. “Their issues are very clear by the way. The American people are more focused on their future than Donald Trump’s past.”
He said Americans “aren’t asking the questions about legal challenges,” adding they are “talking about their challenges across a kitchen table.”
The back-to-back financial penalties imposed on Trump in recent weeks will total to about $438.1 million. Interest on the fraud case could even bring that total to above $500 million, meaning Trump’s personal wealth will likely take a hit from the staggering total.
A potential financial lifeline for the former president could come if he is declared the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, which could come as early as mid-March if he secures victories in each of the GOP primary races.
If Trump becomes the presumptive nominee, his campaign would be able to join forces with the RNC for combined fundraising efforts. This would give his campaign’s war chest a significant boost in what will likely be a long general election cycle.