U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson attacked the U.S. judicial system Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to appear in court with Donald Trump, using his powerful position to argue that the case against the former president is unfair. He attacked it as a “sham.”
It was a remarkable moment in modern American politics. The Speaker of the House turned Republicans against the federal and state legal systems that are the bedrock of American government and the cornerstone of democracy.
Mr Johnson, the second-place presidential candidate, said the court system was “corrupt”.
Outside a New York courthouse, he denounced the “ridiculous prosecution with a disregard for justice.” He said, “It’s all about politics.”
He is leading a growing list of Republicans who have rallied to Mr. Trump’s side and criticized the U.S. judicial system, appearing in court to defend the party’s presidential nominee. President Trump is accused of arranging secret payments to porn stars to cover up negative stories during his successful 2016 presidential campaign.
With President Trump locked up in court and a judge’s gag order barring him from criticizing witnesses or certain elements of the case, Johnson and other lawmakers are filing their own lawsuit as witness testimony enters its fourth week. Trying to attack the procedure. They are using the trial as a de facto suspension of campaign activities in order to reinstate the former president into the White House.
By portraying the case against Mr. Trump as politically motivated, Republicans have dismissed its significance if a jury convicts him, threatening a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in the fall election. We are also preparing the ground for the possibility of this being carried out.
Johnson was the chief architect of President Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 presidential results ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, and last week announced a hush-money trial and other He called the election-year lawsuit against Trump a “tort.” It borders on a criminal conspiracy. ”
“This is election interference,” Johnson said Tuesday, insisting he was in court to support his friend. “And the American people are not going to let this go on.”
On Tuesday, potential vice presidential candidates, Rep. Byron Donald of Florida and Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota, and former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswami, one of President Trump’s current top surrogates, will appear. was also present.
Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were also in court Monday.
In recent days, Trump’s campaign has convened allies to appear in New York courts to attack witnesses and others who are barred from criticizing him under a judge’s gag order.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott said Monday that he attended last week at the invitation of President Trump’s senior adviser Susie Wiles. Others have volunteered to come to New York, the campaign said.
“Democrats are using the court system to criminally pursue and prosecute their political opponents. This is a crime,” Scott said on Fox News over the weekend. “They’re just thugs trying to stop Trump from running for president.”
In the short term, Republican court appearances and comments critical of the process allowed Trump and his allies to amplify their message without risking another clear violation of the gag order.
Mr. Johnson particularly attacked the credibility of Mr. Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who began his second day of testimony in the former president’s hush money trial. And others too.
Matthew Colangelo, the lead prosecutor, criticized Mr. Cohen as “an individual who was clearly on a mission of personal vendetta,” saying “he recently received payments of more than $10,000 from the Democratic National Committee.” Judge M. Marchand’s daughter said she had “made millions of dollars.” of dollars,” is an online fundraiser for the Democratic Party.
The Republican chairman, who relies entirely on President Trump’s support to keep the gavel, is looking to strengthen his alliance, especially as Mr. Johnson faces criticism from his House caucus. His sponsor is Georgia’s U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Mr. Johnson appeared at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club last month to announce a new House bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote and that Democrats would use to sway the election by encouraging immigrants to enter the country illegally. He echoed Mr. Trump’s baseless claim that he did. The Republican challenge path to the 2024 election.
There is no indication that noncitizens vote or will vote in significant numbers in federal elections.
And Johnson joined Trump on stage at the Republican National Committee’s gala event at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month to praise the presumptive presidential nominee, prompting House Republicans to follow Trump’s lead. He said he fully expects to hold his own re-election and retain his majority. Chamber.
Mr Johnson has used the pulpit of his office in Washington to attack the US judicial system, accusing the court of being biased against the former president and claiming the case was politically motivated by Democrats. , Trump insists he did nothing wrong.
The speaker disputed the question of whether the 2020 election was legitimate and, in a departure from the tradition of trust and compliance with the U.S. electoral system, asked whether Mr. Johnson and other Republicans would accept the 2024 election results. hedged against.
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Kinard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
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Meg Kinard can be contacted at: http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
