Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said in an interview Tuesday that attending Monday’s hush-money criminal trial against former President Trump was a “court-friendly move” for the would-be Republican presidential nominee. He said that it was to give him a “cool face.”
“I mean, I was there to support my friend,” said Vance, who is considered to be President Trump’s running mate this fall. spoke on fox news “A Story with Martha McCallum”
“Aside from the political implications of this trial, and we’re sure to come to terms with it, as Donald Trump knows, even though he knows he’s innocent, this is a life-changing situation. “I think it’s a very depressing way to spend five or six weeks. He is,” he continued.
“I recognized that it can be a little lonely sitting there by yourself, so I offered to come into the courtroom and maybe just be a friendly face. It’s everything I wanted to do,” Vance said.
“And I think the reason why so many people want to show their support for the president is because they actually like what the president stands for. They think this trial is pathetic. And they want to show some support to their friends. And I think that’s good and that’s great. That’s certainly what I wanted to do there,” Vance added. Ta.
Mr. Vance was among Republican allies who gathered in New York this week to show support for the former president.
Mr. Trump’s inner circle on Monday included Mr. Vance, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. All three senators were seated in the second row of the bleachers, about 10 feet away from the former president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) attended the trial on Tuesday, along with Representatives Byron Donald (R-FL) and Cory Mills (R-FL).
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum also attended the trial.
Mr. Trump was charged with repaying Mr. Cohen, who paid $130,000 to porn actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with Mr. Trump from a decade ago.34 He has been charged with falsifying business records. President Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied that he had an extramarital affair.
President Trump is also under a gag order that prohibits him from criticizing witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court officials, and families of judges. That doesn’t preclude talking about the judge overseeing the case or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
But Trump’s allies have no such restrictions. Mr. Vance and other Republicans lambasted the gag order during speeches outside a Manhattan courtroom this week, taking aim at witnesses and the judge’s daughter.
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