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Former President Donald J. Trumps political operation is trying to use the news of his expected indictment by a Manhattan grand jury to turn the strident base of the Republican Party against his expected rival for the 2024 presidential nomination, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.

Immediately after the former president predicted on Saturday that his arrest was imminent, Mr. Trumps operatives and friendly media outlets began publicly pressuring Mr. DeSantis to condemn the law enforcement officials in New York, portraying his silence on the matter as bordering on treason.

Jason Miller, the former presidents senior adviser, said on Twitter that the Trump team was taking note of Mr. DeSantiss radio silence about the likely indictment.

And the Trump campaigns War Room account posted on Sunday: It has been over 24 hours and some people are still quiet. History will judge their silence.

Mr. Trumps most influential online allies disseminated the message fast and deep into right-wing online networks. Jack Posobiec, a far-right political activist with a large social-media following, was especially vocal in the pressure campaign.

The race begins. Four years after a historically large number of candidates ran for president, the field for the 2024 campaignis starting out small and is likely to be headlined by the same two men who ran last time: President Biden and Donald Trump. Heres who has entered the race so far, and who else might run:

Donald Trump. The former president is running to retake the office he lost in 2020. Though somewhat diminished in influencewithin the Republican Party and facing several legal investigations he retains a large and committed base of supporters, and he could be aided in the primary by multiple challengers splitting a limited anti-Trump vote.

President Biden. While Biden has not formally declared his candidacy for a second term, and there has been much hand-wringing among Democratsover whether he should seek re-election givenhis age, he is widely expected to run. If he does, Bidens strategyis to frame the race as a contest between a seasoned leader and a conspiracy-minded opposition.

Marianne Williamson. The self-help author and former spiritual adviser to Oprah Winfrey is the first Democrat to formally enter the race. Kicking off her second presidential campaign, Williamson called Biden a weak choice and said the party shouldnt fear a primary. Few in Democratic politics are taking her entry into the race seriously.

Im taking receipts on everyone, Mr. Posobiec said in a brief interview. For DeSantis to make that post yesterday, talking about the Hurricane Ian response and nothing from the personal account whatsoever about the arrest it was a message that was received.

An aide to Mr. DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment.

The effort previews how an indictment would jolt the still-nascent race for the Republican presidential nomination and perhaps already has. Mr. Trump has used the possibility of charges, which would stem from an investigation into hush money Mr. Trumps lawyer paid to a porn actress before he was elected in 2016, to cast himself as a victim of political persecution.

Although his rivals largely want to keep a distance, Mr. Trumps team is bent on pushing them to choose sides, risking the wrath of Republicans loyal to the former president.

The former presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., amplified Mr. Posobiecs message, writing: Pay attention to which Republicans spoke out against this corrupt BS immediately and who sat on their hands and waited to see which way the wind was blowing.

And the Gateway Pundit, a conspiratorial website with a large far-right following that often pushes narratives helpful to Mr. Trump, declared The Silence is Deafening in its headline about Mr. DeSantiss avoidance of the matter.

How Times reporters cover politics.We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.

But even as many leading Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have rallied to Mr. Trumps aid, the comments from the field of declared and potential G.O.P. presidential candidates has been muted.

Some including Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Vice President Mike Pence have decried the prospect of an indictment that relies on what would be a novel legal theory.

I called on my fellow GOP candidates @RonDeSantisFL and @NikkiHaley to join me in condemning the potential Trump indictment because those of us *running against Trump* can most credibly call on the Manhattan DA to abandon this disastrously politicized prosecution, Mr. Ramaswamy wrote in a message on Twitter.

Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor who entered the presidential race last month, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have not said a word.

But Mr. DeSantiss silence is more freighted.

He is the governor of the state where Mr. Trump resides, which, should Mr. Trump be charged and refuse to surrender, could lead Mr. DeSantis to play a role in efforts by New York to extradite the former president.

As a purely political matter, Mr. DeSantis is Mr. Trumps closest rival in every public opinion poll of Republicans about the 2024 presidential primary. He is expected to announce his intentions in May or June. But his hopes depend on appealing to a coalition of voters that includes both supporters and critics of Mr. Trump.

And Mr. Trumps allies believe that a refusal by Mr. DeSantis to condemn an expected indictment one that even some of Mr. Trumps fiercest critics have questioned could make Mr. DeSantiss efforts to peel away Trump supporters more difficult.

Republicans who have seized on news of the anticipated indictment to demonstrate their allegiance to Mr. Trump include House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Few seized the opportunity faster than Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking House Republican, who is widely seen as angling to be chosen as Mr. Trumps running mate.

By midday on Saturday, Ms. Stefanik had issued a statement calling the expected indictment unAmerican and an example of the Radical Left reaching a dangerous new low of Third World countries.

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Trump Allies Pressure DeSantis to Weigh In on Expected Indictment - The New York Times