Donald Trump’s indictment laid bare his complicated relationship with Republicans, forcing them to thread a needle between expressing full-throated fealty and attacking the Democratic prosecutor who brought the case to suit their own agendas.

Republicans — including those considering a White House bid, themselves — almost unanimously condemned the prosecution and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as politically motivated. But subtleties in the pronouncements reveal the fear within the Republican Party of getting cross-wise with Trump’s hardcore supporters, crucial in a primary.

The contortion was most on display in the statement issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom Trump has been attacking for months as his strongest potential challenger for the 2024 presidential nomination.