Trump allies thought indictment was a big political boost — until they saw the charges: analyst

Former President Donald Trump's associates were initially hopeful that his being indicted in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case would be a good thing for him, by giving him a boost to his fundraising and polling — but they were horrified when they actually got a look at the indictment and realized he was on the hook for 37 charges including Espionage Act offenses and obstruction, reported Kristen Holmes on CNN Friday.

"What are you learning about the mood in Trump World tonight, now that they know he's been indicted, now that they've had a very riveting read and a very damning read in this indictment?" asked anchor Erin Burnett.

"We spent the day talking about Trump's orbit," said Holmes, adding that "there was a shift in the mood in Trump World."

"As we reported last night, some of these Trump advisers were feeling really bullish," said Holmes. "They were talking about how good this was going to be politically. I had one person tell me that they were happy that the indictment came before the fourth quarter was over because they were looking for a fundraising boost like they saw after that Manhattan indictment. Today it seemed to shift a little bit. Even this morning Trump played golf with a representative. Allies were calling Trump World trying to shore up support for the president. Once the charges were revealed, it took a shift once people started weighing what was in the document. It went from being political to legal. The legal implications of these charges. What is this going to mean? What is a trial actually going to look like? As you noted, how is this going to affect the election?

"I had talked to a number of advisers who said, yes, this might help him win the GOP nomination," continued Holmes. "There is no doubt this will rile up the base. However, what is this going to do for a general election? It seems as though it wasn't a small handful of advisers I had spoken to, that a larger group that this perspective was starting to sink in. As we talk about the shifting view, looking at the legal aspect. As you noted, this is a day when Trump is rebuilding his entire legal team. He has two top lawyers who have resigned and he is looking at Miami-based lawyers right now. We know he is scouting that out.

"I have been talking to a couple of sources down in Florida who have heard about calls being made," Holmes added. "Something to keep an eye on. They are taking this seriously, and it really does seem as though the gravity has sunk in of the charges."

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