Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is one of several high-profile Republicans who have stayed mum on the indictment of Donald Trump, reports The New York Times.
Other GOP figures who have remained silent include Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
Many other Republicans rushed to criticize a New York grand jury's decision to indict Trump, who on Thursday became the first U.S. president to be charged with a crime, the culmination of a political rise defined by unprecedented scandal.
The charges against him will be formally unsealed when he is arraigned Tuesday.
Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate's GOP leadership, told CNN the Trump indictment "looks to me like this is an opportunity for this [district attorney] to try to make headlines and gain publicity."
Rep. James Comer, the House Oversight Chairman attacked the "political witch-hunt" and told Fox News on Thursday he was concerned whether there was "coordination being conducted here between Merrick Garland, DOJ, and all these different entities that are going after Donald Trump.
"This is a political witch-hunt, they are doing everything in their ability to create a narrative that would hurt Donald Trump."
Senate GOP Conference Chairman John Barrasso called the indictment a "political hit job" in a statement to CNN.
"This is a politically motivated prosecution by a far-left activist. If it was anyone other than President Trump, a case like this would never be brought. Instead of ordering political hit jobs, New York prosecutors should focus on getting violent criminals off the streets," he said.