Noem on hush money case: ‘It’s unprecedented in how ridiculous it is’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Sunday denounced New York’s hush-money lawsuit filed against former President Trump as “ridiculous.”

“This is the way Democrats are fighting these days, using the judicial system and activist judges,” Noem said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “My hope is that the public and the jury will do the right thing and hear the evidence and clearly understand that this is an unprecedented trial, but unprecedented in its stupidity.”

Noem, a staunch ally of the former president, also said prosecutors should have brought charges against Trump years ago, rather than during the campaign. President Trump will spend much of the next few weeks in a Manhattan courtroom after his hush money trial began last week.

“I think it’s a little ridiculous that they waited so many years to bring these kinds of accusations against Donald Trump. If they wanted to bring these kinds of accusations against him, this is what happened. He should have done it two years ago. The fact that he conveniently does it during a presidential campaign as he seeks to return to the White House shows that this is all politically motivated. I think it proves that,” she said.

Her comments echoed familiar rhetoric from Trump and his allies suggesting that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) case against the former president should have been filed sooner had it not been politically motivated. It reflects. Noem has also been floated as a running mate for Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House.

The $130,000 former President Trump paid adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair allegation before the 2016 election is related to a fee Trump paid to former fixer Michael Cohen. , is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.