Many prominent Republicans are publicly supporting Donald Trump, or at least staying silent, after his indictment on 37 federal charges ― but some of them are taking a very different position behind the scenes.

“They want Donald Trump to go away,” former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Monday when asked what his former colleagues are telling him when the cameras are off.

“They know these indictments are going to be devastating for the Republican Party in a general election should Donald Trump become the nominee,” he said, “This is all bad news.”

He said there’s an exception: the “really hardcore MAGA wing folks” who “believe their own BS.”

“But they’re not really dealing with reality,” Dent said, adding that everyone else knows the indictments “are just devastating politically.”

Later in the segment, Dent urged Republicans running for the presidential nomination to attack Trump more directly.

“When your opponent in an election is indicted for mishandling classified materials you can smash him from the right that he’s a threat to national defense,” he advised.

See more of that conversation below:

(Source: MSNBC News)