Republicans rip into the DOJ for charging Trump just 24 hours after Devon Archer’s

Republicans claimed that the third indictment of former President Trump is a ‘witch hunt’ conveniently timed to come down one day after Devon Archer testified about the Biden family business deals.

‘When you drain the swamp, the swamp fights back. Trump did nothing wrong!’ Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, cried on Twitter.

‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden‘s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter’s business calls over 20 times,’ said GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.

‘Today’s sham indictment of Donald Trump is yet another desperate attempt to distract attention away from the mounting evidence of Joe Biden’s direct involvement in his family’s illegal influence peddling scheme.’

Trump is facing four counts including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruct the electoral count for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 45-page indictment says he was ‘determined to remain in power’ despite ‘having lost.’

The former president has been summoned to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Thursday in Washington, D.C. There are also six unnamed alleged co-conspirators according to the indictment.

A source familiar had confirmed to DailyMail.com that Trump was informed he was indicted Tuesday afternoon in the January 6 case. Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to make a public statement regarding the indictment at 6 p.m.

He is already facing 40 federal charges in Florida relating to his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office, and is due to stand trial in New York next year accused of falsifying business documents after making a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The criminal cases have plunged the country into uncharted legal and political territory, as Trump accuses prosecutors of trying to derail his election campaign.

The latest indictment comes amid a slew of investigations into the events of January 6, 2020, when Trump supporters clashed with police and overran the U.S. Capitol, and the way the then president tried to overturn the result.

The Trump campaign put out a statement calling the indictment another ‘witch hunt.’

Speaker Kevin McCarthy linked the indictment to Archer’s testimony in a Twitter post.

‘Everyone in America could see what was going to come next: DOJ’s attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump.’

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said of the indictment: ‘It’s no surprise at all that following Devon Archer’s damning testimony yesterday, the DOJ drops more charges against President Trump. Their efforts at distraction can never change the real problem: President Biden is in serious trouble.’

Other Republicans renewed calls to defund the FBI and Department of Justice.

‘DEFUND JACK SMITH’S WITCH HUNT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP!’ said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., accused the DOJ of undermining democracy.

‘Our democracy depends on voters being able to vote for the candidate of their choice in a free & fair election. Biden’s DOJ has decided to attack our democracy by interfering in the 2024 election to help their boss, Joe Biden, and hurt his chief rival, President Trump.’

‘Election interference,’ tweeted the House Judiciary Republicans.

While Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips insisted Trump is ‘innocent until proven guilty, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., insisted it’s ‘about damn time’ Trump was charged.

‘Donald Trump led a treasonous conspiracy to overturn the results of a free and fair election that he lost. It’s about damn time he joins the over 1,000 domestic terrorists who have been charged for participating in the January 6th insurrection,’ Gomez wrote on Twitter.

‘Another indictment and another stain on our great nation. No one, even former presidents, is above the law in America and everyone, including former presidents, are innocent until proven guilty,’ said Phillips.

Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed last year to lead the federal probe.

In June, he brought charges in the documents case while continuing to present Jan. 6 evidence to a grand jury sitting in Washington D.C.

Trump has always denied wrongdoing.

‘Less than 24 hours ago, Congress heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s longtime business partner that Joe Biden joined Hunter’s business calls over 20 times,’ said GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik

‘When you drain the swamp, the swamp fights back. Trump did nothing wrong!’ Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, cried on Twitter

But he revealed a few weeks ago that he had received a letter from the Justice Department indicating that he was a target of its Jan. 6 investigation.

Such letters are generally an indication that the target will face charges.

‘Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter … stating that I am a target of the January 6th grand jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the grand jury, which almost always means an arrest and an indictment,’ he posted on his Truth Social site.

Once again, the former president managed to blow up the news cycle and his 2024 rivals’ plans by revealing the latest legal twist himself.

He added in all caps: ‘This witch hunt is all about election interference and a complete and total political weaponization of law enforcement.’

Smith, whose most recent role was prosecuting war crimes, has cast a wide net over Trump’s efforts to stay in power. That includes examining lawyers who pushed to reverse results, proposals to seize voting machines, fundraising for the Jan. 6 protest, as well as a plan to use a slate of ‘fake electors’ in states won by Joe Biden to upend the certification process.