Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi that ex-President Donald Trump’s GOP opponents aren’t trying to beat him, they’re just “hoping the justice system or a heart attack takes him out.”

Walsh and fellow former GOP Rep. Charlie Dent were guests on Saturday morning’s edition of MSNBC’s Velshi, during which the host asked about the reactions of GOP rivals to the stunning 37-count indictment that was just unsealed against Trump.

The outspoken Walsh pegged the at-best tentative reaction to the indictment to a desire to avoid angering the base — and a fervent hope that Trump will be removed from the board one way or another:

ALI VELSHI: This is not an abstraction for Republicans. They’ve got a presidential primary underway. They’ve got a guy who’s leading by double digits, and it’s Donald Trump.

JOE WALSH: And I, Ali, I need to say it again. I love my former colleague, Charlie Dent. I’m the crazy Tea Party guy. He was the responsible Republican congressman. I miss those days when we argued about issues.

Look, here’s the deal! No serious challenger to Donald Trump is going to criticize him or attack him. They’re not even trying to beat him, Ali. All they’re hoping for is that the justice system or a heart attack takes him out.

But the party is gone. Our former party is an authoritarian-embracing cult. If not Trump, Ali, who do they want? Who’s the only other person even registering in the polls? It’s Ron DeSantis. He’s a Trump Mini-Me.

There’s no following for Mike Pence or Nikki Haley or Tim Scott or Chris Christie. It’s hard to wrap your arms around the fact that one of our two major political parties is gone.

CHARLIE DENT: Joe What I would say is this. Here we are in June. We’re so far out from the presidential election. A lot can happen between now and then. Trump has been indicted two times. He may be indicted a few more times. He’s going to delay this thing as long as he can. But I do still think there are a lot of Republican voters out there who want to move on, who want something different. They want to move forward. So one of these candidates is going to break through. I agree with you that Ron DeSantis talking, basically trying to be the new Coke. Why be the new Coke when you can get the original? I mean, defending Donald Trump at a time like this, if you’re opposing him, I think is bad polity. Bad polity. Don’t take the cheap imitation. Yes, the original. I think it’s a mistake. They did the same thing after the (inaudible) Well, I don’t think it’s good politics at all, because how does this going to help them in a general election? By embracing Trump so close?

JOE WALSH: They want the nomination, my friend. They want the nomination. And it’s smart politics to defend Donald Trump right now because that’s what the base wants.

Watch above via MSNBC’s Velshi.

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