Tom Cotton: Trump Jan. 6 indictment reads like 'something from an MSNBC producer' 

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) joined a chorus of conservative voices Wednesday in dismissing the charges against former president Trump handed down Tuesday in connection with his effort to contest and overturn the 2020 election.

"I've only had a chance to skim through it, but it seems like something that you'd get from an MSNBC producer for a special on that channel," Cotton said during an appearance on Fox News.

"These are all constitutionally protected activities," he said of Trump's actions after the 2020 election. "You don't have to agree with him, you don't have to think he was right. But I don't see how these charges can go forward without a serious constitutional challenge from the former president."

Trump was charged Tuesday with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

It was the third indictment the former president has faced this year, with two others stemming from his handling of classified documents after leaving office, and what prosecutors allege is his falsification of business records in New York in relation to a hush money payment.

Trump and his Republican allies have argued the various legal cases against the former president are political in nature and meant to derail his third White House bid.

More indictment news from The Hill

• Trump indicted on Jan. 6 charges
• 5 takeaways from Trump’s indictment for trying to overturn the 2020 election
• What to know about the 6 co-conspirators in Trump’s indictment
• Trump attorney on new indictment: ‘Political speech now has been criminalized’

The former president responded to the indictment by thanking his supporters and saying the indictments have "awoken the world to the corruption, scandal & failure that has taken place in the United States for the past three years."

Most Republican primary polls show Trump with a sizable lead on the rest of the 2024 GOP field.

A recent New York Times/Siena poll found a large majority of Republicans do not believe Trump committed serious federal crimes. He also remains far ahead of the GOP field in polls, both at the national level and in key early primary states.