Mike Johnson to speak outside Trump hush-money trial as House Republicans plan votes on divisive message bills – live
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Mike Johnson offered a strident defense of Donald Trump in an appearance outside the New York courthouse where the former president is being tried on charges related to falsifying business documents to conceal hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
“President Trump is innocent of these charges”, the Republican House speaker said. He went on to condemn both the case against Trump in New York, and the indictments brought against him elsewhere for allegedly hiding classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
“It’s impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against president Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another,” said Johnson.
“These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. It is election interference, and they show how desperate, the opposition that President Trump has, how desperate they truly are.”
The speaker said he was making the appearance “on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this”.
Republican House speaker Mike Johnson is not alone in making a show of support for Donald Trump outside his business fraud trial in New York.
Also joining the former president are several potential Republican running mates, including Ohio senator JD Vance, who showed up yesterday:
Ohio senator JD Vance listens as Donald Trump speaks outside the courtroom on 13 May. Photograph: Mark Peterson/EPA
In addition to Johnson, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, Florida congressman Byron Donalds and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy turned up outside the courtroom. All are considered potential vice-presidential choices for Trump:
Congressman Byron Donalds (left), North Dakota governor Doug Burgum (second from left), House speaker Mike Johnson (center), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (second from right) and congressman Cory Mills (right) listen as Trump speaks today. Photograph: Justin Lane/AFP/Getty Images
Their appearances coincided with the testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer who testified that he submitted phoney invoices to cover up hush money payments.
Cohen is a major witness for the prosecution, and is continuing his testimony today. Here’s what he told the court on Monday:
Mike Johnson offered a strident defense of Donald Trump in an appearance outside the New York courthouse where the former president is being tried on charges related to falsifying business documents to conceal hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
“President Trump is innocent of these charges”, the Republican House speaker said. He went on to condemn both the case against Trump in New York, and the indictments brought against him elsewhere for allegedly hiding classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election.
“It’s impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against president Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another,” said Johnson.
“These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. It is election interference, and they show how desperate, the opposition that President Trump has, how desperate they truly are.”
The speaker said he was making the appearance “on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this”.
Good morning, US politics blog readers. With Donald Trump set to once again be the Republican nominee for president, speaker of the House Mike Johnson will this morning make an appearance in New York at his trial on charges of falsifying business documents to conceal hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. According to his office, Johnson will spend time in the courtroom with the former president, and then decry Trump’s “sham” trial in a speech outside to the press. The move by the rightwing speaker comes as the House GOP gears up to put Democrats on the spot by proposing a series of messaging bills that address divisive issues. Politico reports that one of these bills would prevent Joe Biden from freezing aid to Israel – a particularly contentious topic for Democrats as the president navigates a backlash to his support for its invasion of Gaza, as well as objections to his recent decision to stop some bomb shipments to the US ally. Republicans also plan to put to the floor resolutions and measures dealing with immigration and the police, including legislation to mandate the deportation of migrants who assault law enforcement.
The Democrats who control the Senate and Biden himself will likely have the final say over whether any of these measures become law. But the tactic is intended to tighten the vises not just on Biden as he tries to win back voters who polls signal have drifted away from him over the past four years, but also Democrats in swing districts who Republicans are hoping to pick off in November.
Here’s what else we are watching today:
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer who is a top witness for the prosecution, continues his testimony in the former president’s business fraud trial. Follow our Trump hush-money live blog for more.
It’s primary day in West Virginia and Maryland, both states with contests that will likely determine which party controls the Senate next year.
Biden speaks from the White House on how his policies have promoted hiring and investment at 12.15pm ET.
