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Here's how much water you really need per dayand 5 tips for getting enough if you struggle to stay hydrated

It can be a struggle to stay hydrated, especially during the long days of summer. Those endless daylight hours filled with dips in the pool and martinis in the backyard may distract you from that water bottle you carefully filled with ice earlier. But dietitians say prioritizing water intake is doubly important on the muggiest, brightest days of the year.

To be clear, drinking enough water is important 365 days a year. Hydration is important for keeping joints lubricated, transporting nutrients where they need to go in the body, good digestion and removing waste, and for maintaining proper body temperature, says Jamie Lee McIntyre, RDN. In fact, every cell, tissue, and organ in the body needs water to function properly. In other words: Water is essential for nearly every bodily process.

Generally speaking, women require about 91 ounces of water daily, while men need 125 ounces, according to The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine. If youre finding it difficult to hit that daily goal, worry not. McIntyre and Emily Werner, Ph.D., RD, team dietitian for the Philadelphia 76ers, offer tips to help you reach your hydration goals.

Why hydrating can be difficult

If you think youre bad at drinking water, youre in very good company. Many factors make summer hydration especially challenging, and those rising temperatures are a big one. When its hotter out, your body makes you sweat. It wants to keep your core temperature down to protect organ function. When you sweat, you are losing electrolytes like sodium, and youre losing water, says Werner. In other words, youll need to drink more to compensate for all that sweatingparticularly if youre running, biking, or walking out in the heat.

Schedules also tend to pick up in the summer. And in moving from location to location, you may forget to drink some water. Before you know it, its 5 p.m., and you havent had a drop. Both Werner and McIntyre emphasize that if youre thirsty, youre already dehydrated, so dont wait until sunset to start getting your fill.

Finally, alcohol may flow a bit more freely in the warmer months. In fact, one study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that people drink the most in December (around the holidays) and during the summer months. Everybody wants to go and do fun things. At the beach, some lean toward drinking alcohol instead of thinking that they should be bringing water, too, says Werner. Alcohol actually dehydrates you, so its important to make sure youre drinking from your water bottle in between spritzes and hydrating all day long before happy hour begins.

These five expert tips can you help stay hydrated in summerand year-round.

1. Add flavor

Many folks just dont enjoy the taste of water. Luckily, McIntyre has a workaround. If water is too plain, there are many ways to liven it up. Add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice. Use frozen fruit like mangoes and berries instead of ice cubes, or freeze bite-size fruit into ice cube trays, she says. You can also throw slices of fresh lime, orange, cucumber, or lemon into your glass or sip cold herbal teas.

2. Determine what temperature of water you like

If you have sensitive teeth, ice-cold water could deter you from staying hydrated. Thats why McIntyre suggests thinking about what water temperature will actually be enjoyable to drink. If thats room temp, ditch the ice cubes. That way, youll actually drink the full glass.

3. Put a water bottle in every room

Werner tells all her athletes to scatter water bottles in every room so they always have hydration nearby. When youre on the go, make sure to BYOW (bring your own water) just in case wherever youre going doesnt have a water fountain.

4. Eat your water

Eat your fruits to simultaneously help with hydration and nutrition, says McIntyre. Produce such as tomatoes, watermelon, grapes, oranges, and pineapple hydrate as well as nourish us. She adds that these fruits also provide fiber, which supports digestion and heart health, as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support your immune system. So if youre planning on spending the day in the sun, throw some watermelon or pineapple in your cooler.

5. Set alarms throughout the day

If you really find that nothing helps you incorporate those extra ounces into your daily routine, Werner recommends setting timers on the half-hour or hour mark so you dont miss a sip. After a while, this practice will become a habit, and you may be able to ditch those reminders for good.

Eating these 38 foods can help lower your blood pressureplus other tips from experts

Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroketwo of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that percentage increases with age: roughly 70% of adults older than 65 have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. But lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly, cutting back on alcohol, and getting proper nutrition can help.

What is high blood pressure?

Simply put, blood pressure is pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, which carry blood to other parts of your body. While your blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day, if it remains high for too long it can and lead to other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

You might be diagnosed with hypertension if your systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) is greater than 130 mm Hg or your diastolic blood pressure is greater than 80 mm Hg, as defined by the CDC. Although medication can help you manage high blood pressure, diet changes can improve your numbers as well.

How food can help lower blood pressure

According to a 2020 study published in Advances in Nutrition, a Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (also known as DASH) helped people significantly reduce their blood pressure. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and low in sodium. Another study found that following a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in seafood, fruit and nuts, could help lower blood pressure as well.

What you should eat to help lower your blood pressure

Whole foods that are heavily plant-based, high in fiber and rich in antioxidants is the best way to go, according to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietician at Cleveland Clinics Center for Human Nutrition.

We know antioxidants protect ourselves from damage, which can be really helpful when it comes to our overall health and especially blood pressure, says Zumpano, who specializes in preventive cardiology. Theres a lot of focus on what not to eat and not enough focus on what to eat. We know that ultra processed foods, fast foods and packaged foods lead to increased levels of blood pressure, but antiinflammatory foods that are high in antioxidants can help lower it.

Heres what Zumpano recommends:

Foods that are high in vitamin C

These foods protect against oxidative stress, which causes inflammation. Some options include:

Kiwi
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Peppers

Foods that are high in vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as a strong antioxidant and protects cells from damage. Examples include:

Almonds
Avocados
Sunflower seeds
Peanut butter
Salmon

Foods that are high in potassium

Potassium relaxes your blood vessels walls and helps your body remove excess sodium, says Zumpano; however, if you have kidney disease youll want to be mindful about the amount of potassium in your diet as your kidneys are unable to remove the extra potassium in your blood.

Some options that are high in potassium are:

Bananas
Potatoes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Nuts
Seeds
Grapefruit
Avocado
Legumes

Foods that are high in selenium

Selenium is another antioxidant that protects from oxidative stress. Selenium can be found in:

Brazil nuts
Chicken
Turkey

Foods that are high in L-arginine

L-arginine is an amino acid that helps make nitric acid, a chemical that aids in relaxing muscle cells, which some research shows can help lower blood pressure, explains Zumpano. Those foods include:

Poultry
Nuts
Seeds
Beans
Some dairy, such as milk, yogurt and cheese

Foods that are high in calcium

Dairy is a high source of calcium, which has also been proven to help lower blood pressure. Experts recommend 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day, mostly from dairy. Other sources of calcium include:

Almonds
Dark, leafy greens
Fortified tofu
Dried beans and peas
Fortified orange juice
Other non-dairy milks, such as almond, soy, coconut and oat, that have been fortified with calcium

Foods that are high in omega-3s

Overall, foods that suppress inflammation, such as those high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in:

Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Walnuts
Soy

Foods that are high in magnesium

While you can get magnesium through supplements, there are also magnesium-rich foods that can help lower your blood pressure:

Nuts
Seeds
Whole grains
Green vegetables
Dairy

Other foods that can help lower blood pressure

Garlic has also been proven to reduce inflammation, which can help lower blood pressure.

It can also add flavor to food so that maybe youre using less salt, says Zumpano.

A variety of herbs and spices can also help lower blood pressure, such as:

Basil
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Ginger
Parsley
Thyme

When it comes to lowering blood pressure, nutrition is only one piece of the buzzle. Its important to stay hydrated, avoid sugary drinks and exercise for at least 30 minutes most days.

I always advise people to use the rainbow to guide your plate and get food of every color in the rainbow, says Zumpano. Then youll really be able to maximize the amount of nutrients youre consuming in your diet, which helps your overall health and not just your blood pressure. It can also help prevent diabetes and promote overall health and suppress inflammation.

Donald Trump's unsealed indictment shows 'striking' personal involvement in hiding classified documents, criminal law scholar says

Federal prosecutors on June 9, 2023, unsealed the indictment that spells out the governments case against former President Donald J. Trump, who is accused of violating national security laws and obstructing justice.

The 49-page document details how Trump kept classified government documents including papers concerning U.S. nuclear capabilities scattered in boxes across his home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, long after his presidency ended in 2021 and the government tried to reclaim them.

The indictment also shows that Trump shared classified national defense information with people without any security clearance, including someone on a political action committee.

There are 38 felony charges against Trump 31 of these counts relate to withholding national defense information. Five counts relate to concealing possession of classified documents, and two relate to giving false statements.

My office will seek a speedy trial in this matter, consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused, said U.S. special prosecutor Jack Smith, who was appointed to oversee the investigation into Trumps holding of the documents.

The Conversation spoke to criminal law scholar Gabriel J. Chin at the University of California, Davis School of Law about the most important takeaways from the unsealed indictment and the new, open questions it presents about Trumps alleged criminal activity.

The Conversation: What is the significance of the Justice Departments unsealing the indictment on June 9, ahead of Trumps turning himself in to authorities?

Gabriel J. Chin: In the federal system, indictments are not automatically sealed, and so either the U.S. special counsel did not request it to be sealed or a judge refused to seal it. I suspect it is more likely the former. This is not a case in which there are active components of the investigation still going on. The case was ready to go and there is no difference, from the governments point of view, in disclosing the indictment today or not, because the case is in the can.

What stands out about the indictment?

One thing that really stood out was the extensive personal involvement of Donald Trump himself in this alleged activity. Normally, when a big company gets sued, the CEO doesnt drop everything and start going through documents. Thats what various other professionals are for. The details of Trumps alleged direct personal involvement in this case were striking.

Second, one of the challenges here is that prosecutors are trying to hold Trump responsible for an affidavit that a lawyer signed that included untrue statements that Trump did not have the documents the government was asking him to return. And to make that case stick, prosecutors will really have to show that Trump himself had some involvement with that.

Count 32 in the indictment focuses on conspiracy and charges against Trump and his aide Walt Nauta, as well as others known and unknown to the grand jury. The U.S. attorney general is reserving the right to say other people were conspirators, and that will have consequences. Who are these other people? Is the governments theory that Trumps lawyers were innocent dupes and he fed them false information, or were they knowing participants in this criminality? No one else is named, but we are told by that others known and unknown that there definitely are others.

Why did the indictment focus on the movement of the boxes that held classified information at Mar-a-Lago?

The major reason is that all of the charges require some sort of intent. None of these charges would apply to someone who is trying to obey the law. Prosecutors have to show that what was going on here was an intentional, calculated act.

Another reason goes back to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , former Vice President Mike Pence and President Joe Biden, who have faced their own inquiries into possessing classified documents.

When former FBI Director James Comey said in 2016 that he wasnt charging Clinton for using her personal email for government work, there were considerations that led him to do that. People who make honest mistakes and cooperate in good faith dont get charged because, first, it is difficult to make the case of wrongdoing. And there is some level of fairness to say that you dont want to make public service a booby trap, where if you drop your guard for a second you could wind up in prison.

In this indictment, prosecutors are making an effort to tell the full story and explain why the actions detailed are wrongful. They appear to want to explain why the circumstances in this case justified charges and that this is not a gotcha! situation where someone has kept 200 cases of documents that have been carefully screened and one or two documents accidentally got in the mix.

Whats the significance of the many felony counts facing Trump?

Under the sentencing guidelines, which are usually followed, conviction on all counts could likely lead to a relatively short sentence or to no incarceration at all. However, it is important to note that in theory, Trump could be sentenced to the maximum on each count. The sentence on all counts could be made to run consecutively, which would lead to a sentence in the neighborhood of 400 years. I do not think that would ever happen, but it does underscore the power of the judge in sentencing a case like this.

Gabriel J. Chin is criminal law scholar at the University of California, Davis School of Law

The current stock market rally has sent valuations so high that it may be 'a sign the party is about to end'

Markets, Boaz Weinstein said this week, are constantly wrong. Telling which one is most astray right now has become the big challenge for investors facing conflicting signals across asset classes.

Is it stocks, where an advance previously confined to a handful of tech megacaps showed distinct signs of broadening out this week? A $6 trillion rally hangs in the balance. Or maybe its bonds, where emanations of gloom abound and bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts are multiplying in a market where volatility is running twice as high as it was just two years ago.

For investors, the potential penalties for being on the wrong side of the trade essentially, miscalculating the likelihood of a recession are getting higher with every leg up in the S&P 500, which this week crossed into bull-market territory. JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts put the cost of mistimed bullishness as high as 20% should equity traders turn out to have misjudged the economys path.

Something has got to give, said Peter Cecchini, director of research at Axonic Capital. With equity valuations this stretched in many sectors relative to realistic forecasts for 2023 earnings, wed bet the give comes from equities.

The S&P 500 added 0.4% this week to post its fourth straight increase. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 trailed, posting its first decline in seven weeks as money flowed to beaten-down areas like banks and small-caps. A gauge of regional lenders jumped 3%, while the Russell 2000 climbed almost 2%.

Defensively positioned money managers have started warming to the rally. In a poll by the National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM), equity exposure just increased at the fastest pace in more than two years. At 90%, the reading was the highest since November 2021.

For his part, Weinstein, the chief investment officer of Saba Capital Management, says getting too caught up in speculation about the economy is a mistake. Instead of saying, I think therell be a recession or there wont, which I kind of howl at the TV screen when I hear that, I feel like you have to think of ranges of outcomes, he said, speaking at the Bloomberg Invest event in New York.

That translates into a bet against corporate bonds at Saba, premised on the view that subdued yield spread makes a wager against credit too juicy to pass up. For investors who are increasingly all-in on stocks, however, the perils are increasing.

While the S&P 500 has surged more than 20% from its October low, entering what some consider a bull market, the resilience is at odds with ever-growing warnings from the bond market. Yield curve inversion a widely watched indicator for an economic recession has worsened over that stretch as long-dated Treasury rates fell further below short-dated ones.

The divide is illustrated by a model kept by JPMorgan that compares each assets market pricing versus its implied value based on macroeconomic factors such as inflation volatility. While bonds have reflected persistent uncertainty since February, the stock market is more sanguine, pricing less risk than before the pandemic.

Should equities echo fixed income in acknowledging the risk over inflation volatility, the S&P 500 would be 20% below its current levels, according to the firms strategists including Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou.

Of course, seeking a consistent economic message across assets is often a futile exercise as the economys trajectory is not the only thing driving prices. A big force in 2023s equity rally has been euphoria around artificial intelligence supercharging computer and software shares, with the seven largest tech firms accounting for almost all the S&P 500s year-to-date gains.

Its also possible that stock traders, after sending equities into a bear market in 2022 amid mounting fears of a recession, are readjusting their expectations for the timing and magnitude of an economic downturn.

In fact, its not unusual to see stocks going up in the face of the bond markets recessional warnings. Using the yield gap between three-month and 10-year Treasuries as a signpost, a study by Leuthold Group found that since the late 1960s, a trader buying the S&P 500 on the first day of the yield inversion and, with perfect timing, selling at the subsequent high could have made anything from 5% to 23%. Those gains averaged 13% over a holding period of roughly eight months.

This time, the yield inversion happened in November, or seven months ago. Since then, the S&P 500 has climbed 13%, matching the average of the previous post-inversion advances.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But Doug Ramsey, Leutholds chief investment officer, considers the markets latest leg higher as another pre-recessionary rally. In his view, while yield inversions have correctly forecast all previous eight recessions, stocks tended to defy initial alarms as investors sought to exploit the last window to profits before the eventual bust.

With small-cap stocks and depressed cyclical shares such as banks rising from the dust of late, many market participants are cheering over the broadening in share participation.

Ramsey is skeptical, warning the market could face a last gasp for this upswing, given the Feds commitment to its inflation-fighting campaign.

In the previous eight instances of yield inversion, the S&P 500 dropped 35% on average from the interim peak to the final low, his analysis shows.

When the really beaten-down stuff finally joins in, its sometimes a sign the party is about to end, Ramsey said. And unlike the endless market celebrations of the last decade, this one lacks a punch bowl, a reference to stimulative Fed policy.

As conflicted as asset moves have been, 2023 is shaping up to be a punishing year for consensus bets. From sell Big Tech stocks to short the dollar and long Chinese shares, Wall Streets once-hot trades at the start of the year are all faltering.

Even among stocks, a battle is raging. Consider the Russell 2000 and Nasdaq 100, which have taken turns outperforming this month. For six straight sessions, their return gap has exceeded 1 percentage point. Thats the longest stretch of big, listless rotations since November 2020.

Helping fuel a revival in small-caps stocks that are typically more sensitive to economic swings is optimism that the economy may avoid a severe recession, with the Fed poised to put a brake on its aggressive monetary tightening.

The central bank is expected to pause interest-rate increases next week for the first time in 15 months and leave policy on hold through December, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

To Emily Roland, the co-chief investment strategist of John Hancock Investment Management, investors had better hold the urge to chase gains because the economic outlook remains murky and todays winners can easily become tomorrows losers.

We are in this pivot party, she said. But my analogy in terms of how to play it, maybe you want to sip on a light beer instead of reaching for the tequila because you might have fewer regrets the next morning.

Teslas shares are on a record 11-day run that's added nearly $200 billion to the company's market value

The clouds are finally parting for Tesla investors who stuck with the electric-vehicle maker through a rough ride. A rush of good news for the company and the return of bullish market conviction have put the stock on pace to more than double this year.

The Elon Musk-led EV company has added more than $194 billion to its market valuation in an 11-day run, as the shares tied with their longest-ever winning streak. It is only the second time in Teslas history that the shares have managed this feat.

Tesla has been a wild stock over the years, but it has only posted two other double-digit winning streaks in its history, according to Bespoke Investment Group. The first was 10 trading days ending in April 2020, while the second and the longest one was less than a year later, in January 2021.

Tesla shares closed up 4.1% at $244.40 Friday, bringing this years surge to 98%. This weeks 14% advance was the best since January.

Fridays sharp rally came after General Motors Co. on Thursday said it will adapt its EVs to Teslas Superchargers, following a similar move from Ford Motor Co., and all but ensuring it will become an industry standard in the US.

More people buying EVs (whether they be GM or Ford for that matter) increases the likelihood that they buy Teslas, RBC Capital Markets analyst Tom Narayan wrote in a note on Thursday. A rising tide lifts all boats and if consumers see their neighbor having an EV, they are more likely to buy one themselves and this increases the chances they buy a Tesla.

Still, this is only the latest in a string of EV and related news that have contributed to Teslas rapid gains since late May.

Earlier this week, all of Teslas Model 3 sedans became eligible for the full US tax credit under a new criteria set by the US Treasury Department, while Musks social-media platform Twitter got a new chief executive officer, calming some investor angst about Musk being spread too thin among his many high-profile ventures.

And then there is the market frenzy for all things artificial intelligence that further fueled an already buoyant sentiment for technology and mega-cap stocks, and pushed the S&P 500 Index into the bull-market territory.

Though the jury is still out on whether Teslas rich valuation allows for any further AI-related boost, or if even the self-driving tech it is building can be equated with the generative-AI trend, the stock has undoubtedly caught the fever.

In fact, ardent Tesla bull and the chief executive officer of ARK Investment Management Cathie Wood has said that the company is the biggest AI play, which will help its stock price rise to about $2,000 in 2027. Without that AI push, Wood expects the stock to be worth only about $400 by the same time.

Retail investors, among whom Tesla enjoys a cult-like following, are clearly listening.

According to data from Vanda Research, the AI-mania has helped bring mom-and-pop traders back into the game after a 3-month long lull, with an average flow $1.36 billion a day into US markets over the past week through Thursday.

Better-than-consensus economic data and the resolution of the debt ceiling were among key macro drivers of this rebound in participation, but AIs push is what decisively boosted animal spirits in recent weeks, Vandas Marco Iachini and Giacomo Pierantoni wrote in a note to clients.

Rolex watches once owned by Paul Newman and tied to his passion for car racing sell for more than $1 million each

Two Rolex Daytonas that once belonged to Paul Newman sold separately for about $1.1 million each in an auction held on Friday, June 9, at Sothebys in New York.

Newmans former timepieces went to bidders who engaged on the phone with Leigh Safar, the vice president and specialist in Sothebys watches department, and the auction house confirmed the sales. It is unclear whether the same bidder got both of Newmans Daytonas.

A Rolex Zenith Daytona and a white gold Daytona worn and owned by the legendary Hollywood actor were the highlights of a special 134-lot sale, Important Watches. Both were estimated to sell for up to $1 million, but the final bid prices reached $900,000 for the Zenith Daytona and $850,000 for the white gold Daytona; sales fees brought the final prices to $1.143 million and $1.08 million, respectively.

The Rolex Zenith Daytona was presented to Newman after he won the GTS-1 class at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona Race. The remarkable achievement made Newman, at 70, the oldest driver to win the race, a record that still stands today in the Guinness World Records. In 1999, Newman, famed for his philanthropic work, decided to auction the watchwhich bore the inscription Rolex at Daytona 24 Paul Newman Rolex Motorsports Man of the Year 1995during Antiquorums Famous Faces sale. At the time, it fetched a record sale of $39,000 to benefit Newmans charity.

Newman, however, was spotted wearing it again in the following years, sparking speculation that a close family member or friend had repurchased it for him. The timepiece held special significance and sentimental value for Newman, being intertwined with his racing career, as well as appealing to car enthusiasts.

Featuring a black dial, the white gold automatic chronograph wristwatch was the only precious metal Daytona that Newman ever owned. It is one of only three known Daytona watches gifted to Paul from his wife, actress Joanne Woodward. An engraving on the back reads: Drive Very Slowly, Joanne. The couple starred together in the 1969 movie Winning, which sparked Newmans successful motorsport career.

Newman wore this watch during his final laps at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Connecticut, in August 2008, a month before he passed away at 83. Fridays auction marked the first time the watch was offered on the market.

A stainless-steel Daytona Rolex owned by Newman was sold at auction for $17.8 million at Phillips in October 2017. The wristwatch has a white dial, three black subdials, a red outer track and Woodwards engraving on the back: DRIVE CAREFULLY ME.

The two Rolex sales just concluded are a part of the The World of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, an auction that has been running since May 31 and will close on June 13. The series consists of more than 300 individual items, including a one-off 1998 Volvo V90 Volvette and the racing suit Newman wore during his last professional race in 2007 and in his final lap in 2008.

How Trumps' Republican rivalsfrom Ron DeSantis to Nikki Haleyare responding to his new indictment: 'No one is above the law'

Many of Donald Trumps rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination have found plenty to criticize the former president about, but are lining up to support him after his indictment on federal charges.

Wary of alienating the frontrunners loyal base, most of the challengers have turned their criticism on the Justice Department rather than capitalizing on Trumps second indictment, this time over his refusal to return classified documents. One longshot candidate has even pledged to pardon Trump if elected.

Heres what they had to say:

Ron DeSantis

The Florida governor, Trumps closest challenger, quickly condemned the indictment as political bias in a tweet.

The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society. We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation, DeSantis wrote.

He also promised to bring accountability to the DOJ.

Mike Pence

Trumps former vice president, who escaped an attack by Trumps supporters during the Capitol insurrection, tried to thread the needle.

Im deeply troubled to see this indictment move forward, Pence said in an interview with conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt. I had said that I had hoped that the DOJ would see its way clear not to move forward here. But let me be very clear. No one is above the law.

Tim Scott

The South Carolina senator denounced the indictment in a Fox News interview on Thursday and echoed claims of the weaponization of the Justice Department.

You dont have to be a Republican to see injustice and want to fix it, Scott said. You dont have to be a Democrat to see injustice and want to fix it. You just have to be an American and stand up for the right thing.

If elected, Scott said, he would purge all of the injustices and impurities of the Justice Department.

Vivek Ramaswamy

The Ohio biotech entrepreneur went the furthest in his defense of Trump, saying that he would pardon him promptly if he were elected in 2024. Echoing fellow Republicans, he accused President Joe Biden of instructing the Justice Department to target his political rival. Biden said he has had no contact with the department on this.

It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump werent in the race, but I stand for principles over politics, he said in a lengthy Twitter statement Thursday.

Chris Christie

The former New Jersey governor, who called Trump a self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog on Tuesday, was more measured Thursday.

Lets see what the facts are when any possible indictment is released, Christie, a former federal prosecutor, said in a tweet. As I have said before, no one is above the law, no matter how much they wish they were. We will have more to say when the facts are revealed.

Asa Hutchinson

The former Arkansas governor was the most critical of Trump and reiterated his call for him to drop out of the race.

Donald Trumps actionsfrom his willful disregard for the constitution to his disrespect for the rule of lawshould not define our nation or the Republican party, Hutchinson said in a statement.

Nikki Haley

Trumps former UN Ambassador, who has treaded very lightly in criticizing the partys standard bearer, offered more of the same Friday.

This is not how justice should be pursued in our country, her campaign said in a statement. The American people are exhausted by the prosecutorial overreach, double standards, and vendetta politics. Its time to move beyond the endless drama and distractions.