As attorneys representing Donald J. Trump present various legal arguments to defend him against criminal charges, the former president has adopted a political defense strategy centered around the idea that he is being indicted on behalf of his supporters. Through speeches, social media posts, and advertisements, Trump consistently characterizes the prosecutions as a politically motivated witch hunt, positioning himself as a martyr who is being attacked by Democrats and the government on behalf of his followers. He claims that they want to take away his freedom because he will never allow them to take away the freedom of his supporters, and that they want to silence him because he will never let them silence his followers. In his previous election campaigns, Trump portrayed himself as an insurgent candidate who understood the grievances of his supporters and promised to fight for them. However, in his 2024 campaign, he has primarily focused on his own personal grievances while attempting to convince his supporters to see themselves in him. He continues to falsely argue that the 2020 election was stolen from him and frames it as a theft against his voters as well. By emphasizing the legal jeopardy he is now facing, Trump suggests that his followers could also be subject to similar persecution. This messaging appears to be resonating with his supporters, some of whom believe that they too could be wrongly prosecuted. The portrayal of himself as a victim of the criminal justice system has solidified Republican support around Trump. Since his initial indictment in March, Republican voters have consistently shown their support for Trump in polls. Congressional Republicans have also embraced investigations into what they view as the politicization of federal law enforcement, aligning with the party base’s acceptance of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. Many of Trump’s Republican rivals for the 2024 nomination have echoed his call to fire the FBI director and eliminate the Justice Department’s traditional independence from the White House. However, a small number of his rivals have directly challenged him on the topic of the 2020 election. Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Trump remains the dominant figure in Republican primary polls. His narrative of unfair persecution by the criminal justice system has gained significant traction among his supporters, who view the indictments as an attempt by Democrats to prevent Trump from reclaiming power. However, not all Republican voters share Trump’s victimhood narrative, as some believe that his latest indictment disqualifies him as a candidate and reduces his chances of defeating President Biden if he were to become the party’s nominee.