House Speaker Mike Johnson appears in court to express support for Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson will appear with President Trump this morning in a Manhattan courthouse where the hush money trial is being held, a person familiar with the Louisiana Republican’s schedule confirmed to NBC News. A number of prominent Republican politicians traveled to New York to show solidarity with the former president during the trial.
Mr. Johnson recently survived a threat to the speakership from Mr. Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Mr. Trump backed Mr. Johnson’s efforts, but they ultimately failed.
Punchbowl News first reported Johnson’s court appearance.
Vivek Ramaswamy likely to appear in court to support Trump
Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s former Republican primary rival and current running mate, is expected to join the former president in court today, sources said.
Mr. Ramaswamy and Mr. Trump directly coordinated today’s plans, and Mr. Ramaswamy will ride in the car with Mr. Trump and remain in court with the president throughout the day, the people said.
Another vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, appeared in court yesterday.
President Trump is under gag order, and allies are stepping up attacks on hush money trial
Trump risks going to prison if he attacks a witness in his hush money trial in New York. However, his allies are not subject to the gag order, which he has repeatedly violated, and increasingly fire broadsides that he is unable to do.
Yesterday, as former Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen testified that Trump was directly involved in plotting to kill negative stories about him during the 2016 election, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) ) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) disagreed. Cohen.
“He is a convicted felon,” Tuberville said at a news conference outside the Manhattan courthouse. “So this guy is doing an acting scene.”
Mr. Vance, who is vying to be chosen as President Trump’s running mate, also wrote in a sarcastic tone: X’s Tweetstorm.
Read the full text here.
What to expect in today’s trial
Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, is expected to continue testifying after taking the stand for the first time yesterday.
Trump’s lawyers could begin cross-examination as early as today.
Here’s what you missed in yesterday’s trial
Cohen took the stand for the first time to testify about the hush money he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election.
Mr. Cohen said Mr. Daniels told Mr. Trump that he would “advance the money,” and that Mr. Trump would “thank you” and get the money back.
He also said that if Daniels’ story had come out before the election, it would have been “devastating” in his opinion, especially since it came so soon after the “Access Hollywood” tape.
