House Speaker Joins Republicans Visiting Trial to Say What Trump Can’t

House Speaker Joins Republicans Visiting Trial to Say What Trump Can’t

 

Outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald J. Trump is being tried on criminal charges, Mike Johnson attacked a key witness who linked the former president to a plan to cover up hush money paid to a porn star.

 

Michael Wilson Catie Edmondson

By Michael Wilson and Catie Edmondson

May 14, 2024

Updated 1:21 p.m. ET

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/nyregion/mike-johnson-trump-trial.html

 

As a key witness testified inside the Manhattan criminal courthouse on Tuesday morning, an increasingly familiar scene unfolded outside, as another in a parade of well-known visitors — this time Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House — stepped up to a microphone.

 

“This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge,” Mr. Johnson said, attacking the man on the stand, Michael D. Cohen, the former fixer to Donald J. Trump. “He is someone who has a history of perjury. No one should believe a word he says in there.”

 

Mr. Johnson’s attacks on Mr. Trump’s behalf did what the former president himself could not, bound as he is by a gag order during his trial on felony charges of falsifying business records. In recent days, Trump allies have stepped up one after another as his proxies, although Mr. Trump used a different term.

 

“I do have a lot of surrogates,” he said in remarks before trial proceedings began on Tuesday, “and they are speaking very beautifully.”

 

The proud observation appears to reflect a game plan. And the surrogates, however awkwardly, have risked their public profiles to defend a man accused of hiding hush-money payments to a porn star.

 

Mr. Johnson, whose persona back home in Louisiana is defined by family and faith, concluded his brief remarks without taking questions.

 

A day earlier, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama called the Trump trial’s Manhattan courtroom “the most depressing thing I’ve ever been in.”

 

The surrogates routinely say things that Mr. Trump cannot, thanks to Justice Juan M. Merchan’s gag order.

 

For example, Mr. Johnson took a shot at the judge’s daughter, a political consultant who has worked with Democratic candidates, saying she was “making millions of dollars doing online fund-raising for Democrats.”

 

Mr. Trump himself is expressly prohibited from making such statements. Justice Merchan in a March 26 order barred him from making statements about witnesses, jurors and the families of any lawyer involved in the case. The order also barred him from “directing others to make” such statements, but it’s unclear whether the comments by Mr. Trump’s supporters violate the order — or how the judge could address them.

 

Barry Kamins, a retired State Supreme Court judge and expert on criminal practice, said there was little a judge could do to silence supporters.

 

“These comments have the imprimatur of Trump’s approval,” he said in an email message. “However, Judge Merchan has no control over them, as he does over Trump.” An exception, he noted, would be “the unlikely event that it could be proven that a surrogate was doing this specifically at Trump’s direction.”

 

In the meantime, the commentary from Trump defenders continues without interruption.

 

On Monday, Senator J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican and a potential running mate to Mr. Trump, appeared outside the courthouse and made clear his intentions: to say what Mr. Trump “is prevented from saying, which is a disgrace.” He dismissed each prosecutor as “practically a Democratic political operative” and Mr. Cohen as “a convicted felon” who was not to be believed.

 

Mr. Tuberville, however vaguely, seemed to question the very legality of the jury.

 

“I am disappointed at looking at the American citizens — supposedly American citizens — in that courtroom,” he said.

 

Justice Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, has been a repeated target.

 

“Among the atrocities here, the judge’s own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats,” Mr. Johnson said Tuesday. “They’re using this trial as a hook, it’s so corrupt, it’s so corrupt and everybody knows it.”

 

More speakers promised to follow on Tuesday. Vivek Ramaswamy announced his plans on X: “Headed to NYC courtroom now. Let’s see what’s going on down there, will share my thoughts over the day.”

 

Before the day’s court session began, Mr. Trump stood near Mr. Ramaswamy with approval.

 

“Vivek, who’s here right now,” Mr. Trump said, “can speak for himself.”

 

Nate Schweber contributed reporting.

 

Michael Wilson, who covers New York City, has been a Times reporter for more than two decades. More about Michael Wilson

 

Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times. More about Catie Edmondson