Numerous top Republicans weighed in on Tuesday evening to the latest indictment of former President Donald Trump by questioning the fairness of the Department of Justice.

The 77-year-old former president was charged by a federal grand jury with 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.

Trump responded in a statement calling the indictment a “pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election.”

Aside from Trump, three of the other four top Republican presidential candidates that rank among the top-five responded to Trump’s indictment.

“As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, D.C., to their home districts.”

“Washington, D.C., is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality,” he added. “One of the reasons our country is in decline is the politicization of the rule of law. No more excuses—I will end the weaponization of the federal government.”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) said in a statement to The Daily Wire: “I remain concerned about the weaponization of Biden’s DOJ and its immense power used against political opponents. What we see today are two different tracks of justice. One for political opponents and another for the son of the current president. We’re watching Biden’s DOJ continue to hunt Republicans, while protecting Democrats.”

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Former Vice President Mike Pence took a shot at Trump in his response, saying: “Today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States.”

Pence continued:

I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment. The former president is entitled to the presumption of innocence but with this indictment, his candidacy means more talk about January 6th and more distractions.

As Americans, his candidacy means less attention paid to Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter.

Our country is more important than one man. Our Constitution is more important than any one man’s career. On January 6th, Former President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and I always will.

As your president, I will not yield an inch in defending America, our people, or our values, and I promise you: I will do so in a way consistent with my oath to the Constitution and the character and decency of the American people. We will restore a threshold of integrity and civility in public life so we can bring real solutions to the challenges plaguing our nation.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley did not immediately release a statement. The Daily Wire contacted her team for comment.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) highlighted numerous instances of the Biden DOJ appearing to have different standards of justice for Democrats and Republicans and said that House Republicans “will continue to uncover the truth about Biden Inc. and the two-tiered system of justice.”

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, said in a statement: “The American people have lost faith in Biden’s Justice Department.”

“They are uncomfortable watching the current president weaponize the justice system against his political opponent,” Barrasso added. “The Justice Department’s own flimsy deal to save Biden’s son didn’t even hold up in court.”

“This two-tiered system of justice is wrong,” he concluded. “The country deserves better.”

The Justice Department could well be gearing up for an antitrust showdown with concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment, and its sister, Ticketmaster.

Insiders claim that a lawsuit could be filed by the year’s end, POLITICO reported. After the news broke, Live Nation’s shares took a 5% nosedive in extended trading.

The controversy surrounding Live Nation’s ticket sales practices has been a hot topic among U.S. senators this year, who criticized the company’s opacity and its inability to prevent ticket bots. This upcoming legal battle could challenge the entertainment behemoth’s dominance in the live music industry.

Details regarding the lawsuit’s timing remain uncertain, and the DOJ may ultimately decide to drop the case. While both Live Nation and the DOJ declined to comment, speculation continues to swirl around what could be a seismic legal clash. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

The DOJ probe possibility first emerged after a debacle over Taylor Swift tickets. Thousands of fans couldn’t buy the tickets, which quickly appeared on scalper sites with prices jacked through the roof.

After the Swift mess, the DOJ announced it was opening an antitrust inquiry into the monopoly, focused on “whether Live Nation Entertainment has abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry,” The New York Times reported last November.

But Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts wrote a letter to the attorney general saying that’s not enough, noting that “an investigation alone does nothing for the stakeholders already harmed by Live Nation’s market dominance and seemingly ongoing anticompetitive behavior.”

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They said that the company, which controls about 60% of the market — including many of the biggest venues — “has continued to abuse its dominant market position,” adding that “we urge the Department to consider unwinding the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger and breaking up the company.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been a leader on the issue, jumping into the fray after the November sale of Swift tickets turned into a debacle.

“I was watching what was going on with the pre-release of Taylor Swift’s tickets,” she told Rolling Stone.

“It came up on a more personal level; I actually have quite a few staff who were trying to get tickets that day. Between seeing their experience and seeing all the people online talking about it, I think it really showed how widespread the problem is and reflects the degree of market consolidation in this industry.”

That’s exactly correct. Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, and it’s been a mess ever since. Ticketmaster controls the tickets, and Live Nation often owns the venue, which means they’ve got you coming and going.

“One of the things we’ve been increasingly seeing is that these price increases because of inflation and abuse of market power are due to market consolidation,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “It’s gotten so bad that we’re really seeing it affect our everyday lives, from how much we’re paying at grocery stores to not being able to see our favorite artists without paying an arm and a leg.”

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.