"McCarthy and Republicans defend Trump amid potential indictment"

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has directed House committees to investigate the Manhattan district attorney's potential prosecution of former President Donald Trump, calling it an "outrageous abuse of power." Trump predicted on Truth Social that he would be arrested next week in the probe over his handling of a hush-money payment during his 2016 presidential campaign, prompting a slew of Republican allies to express their outrage. McCarthy and other Republicans have called the potential indictment politically motivated, while Democrats have defended the ongoing investigation.