ORLANDO, Fla.— A burning question has dogged the Republican Party ever since Donald Trump descended the escalator at Trump Tower to announce his first presidential bid: Is now the time to distance yourself from him?

Elected Republicans have occasionally wavered over issues like Trump's criticism of John McCain's military record, his racial attack on a Mexican-American judge, his sexually suggestive language that was captured on camera, his alleged extramarital affairs, his decision to support Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence, his promotion of false claims of election fraud, or his inciting of a violent mob that endangered the lives of lawmakers from both parties.

But after almost eight years of scandals that seemed to be happening almost every day, Republicans have repeatedly sided with Trump.

As he gets ready to potentially become the first former president accused of a crime, Donald Trump's commitment to the Republican Party is put to the test. The investigation by New York prosecutors into whether Trump participated in an unlawful hush money scheme involving a porn actress is coming to an end. Republicans have the chance to distance themselves from Trump, but if they don't, they'll only have themselves to blame if Trump wins the nomination again. The Republican Party appears to have made its decision in its vast majority so far.

Party leaders have started to defend Donald Trump as charges against him loom, despite the fact that other Republicans running for president in 2024 will be challenging him. There is a perception that the former president is being unfairly attacked, according to former vice president and potential presidential candidate Mike Pence and New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu. Additionally, New York prosecutors may be unfairly prosecuting Trump, according to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and Trump's most likely challenger, provided a conflicted response when questioned about the potential indictment on Monday.

Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) criticized a prosecutor for pursuing a political agenda and using the office as a weapon at the House GOP conference in Orlando, Florida. He argued that it is improper for a prosecutor to focus on porn star hush money payments while ignoring crimes that occur regularly in his area. Republicans are once again forced to play defense for Trump as he deals with another scandal, which is an uncomfortable place for them to be. Many had hoped to concentrate on their legislative goals and successes, but instead had to deal with concerns about the ramifications of Trump's most recent legal problems.

Florida and Orlando Republican lawmakers have been questioned regarding President Trump's legal issues and whether he still leads the party. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called the potential indictment "pure politics" and blamed New York prosecutors for rising crime rates, while Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., asserted that the speaker of the House is the leader. Alan Bragg, the New York district attorney, has also come under fire from Orlando's Republican lawmakers, who have referred to him as a "George Soros-backed" prosecutor.

Republican leaders made announcements regarding their intentions to look into and question those parties involved in the case against Trump, such as the federal and local prosecutors looking into his activities in various locations. For his attempts to rig the 2020 election, Trump is the subject of criminal investigations in Georgia, and federal prosecutors are looking into his handling of classified documents.

The "unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority and the potential indictment" of Trump was the subject of a request from House Republicans for communications, documents, and testimony. However, according to Trump's team, an indictment could give him a political advantage in the primary by forcing his Republican rivals to defend him or risk alienating their base. Trump's legal baggage may prove to be a political liability in the 2024 general election. Trump's rivals for 2024 have privately acknowledged the political repercussions of defying the former president at such a pivotal time.

Ron DeSantis' response to Donald Trump's potential arrest was seized upon by Donald Trump and his allies as an insult to his MAGA base. Trump promoted a decades-old image of DeSantis posing with young women when he was a high school teacher and used it to attack DeSantis, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious," his favorite nickname for him. DeSantis was made fun of by Trump, who questioned his sexual orientation and said that as he grew older, he would learn about fabricated claims and rumors.

McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers have refrained from publicly endorsing Trump's bid for the presidency in 2024, and it is unclear whether such statements will be followed by official endorsements once the primary season gets underway in the spring of that year. Trump has called for significant demonstrations, echoing his rhetoric from the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Even so, Trump's staunchest supporters exuded assurance.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Americans should be outraged by the alleged political persecution of a former president. She is one of only eight House Republicans to officially support Trump's third presidential bid.

She predicted that if Trump is charged, he will triumph handily.

Elise Stefanik, the chair of the House Republican conference, is still one of Trump's staunchest allies in Congress. She claimed to have spoken with the former president on Monday morning.

Stefanik, who has endorsed Trump's 2024 campaign, predicted that his polling numbers would rise. Never before has he been in a better position.