ATLANTA ― The 2024 Republican presidential race on Friday came to the city where frontrunner Donald Trump was just indicted on racketeering and fraud charges based on his coup attempt ― and participants did their best to avoid talking about it.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott did not mention Trump during his 45-minute question and answer session on stage with radio talk show host Erick Erickson. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told the audience of 500 that he hoped Trump would show up at the first GOP debate next week in Milwaukee but had nothing to say about the charges that could put Trump in prison for decades.
And former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, meanwhile, said Republicans need to put Trump’s “negativity” in the past and pick a candidate who can win, but did not detail anything particularly negative about him.
By next Friday, Trump will have to turn himself in to be fingerprinted and photographed at the Fulton County Jail just eight miles from the Grand Hyatt in…