Did Mike Johnson ditch crucial US House session to support Donald Trump amid hush money trial in New York?
US House Speaker Mike Johnson joined other Republican leaders who flocked to New York City Tuesday to stand firm alongside former President Donald Trump as he attends his hush money trial.
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks at a news conference across the street from the Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York.(AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)(AP)
Trump’s entourage on Tuesday include North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Trump after withdrawing from the race of the Republican presidential nomination.
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However, Johnson arrived in New York when the US House was holding a crucial session to complete a vital business.
Speaking to reporters outside Manhattan court, Johnson said: “President Trump is innocent of these charges.” Trump is facing the first 34 of 88 criminal charges as he is accused of making hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide their alleged affair from the public ahead of US presidential elections.
Claiming that the judicial system in the US has been weaponised against Trump, he said: “The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another.”
He called the trials “politically motivated”, adding that “they are a disgrace”. “It is election interference, and they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump is, how desperate they truly are,” he added.
He went on to say that he is supporting Trump “on my own” as he is “deeply concerned about this” like hundreds of millions of people.
Also Read: Vivek Ramaswamy steps up attack on Biden administration as he joins Trump supporters at ‘sham’ NY trial
US House in session with major agenda
Back on Capitol Hill, the House was scheduled to vote on the Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization Act. House Democrats were also expected to confront a slew of messaging bills, or proposed legislation meant not to be approved but to entangle the opposing party in difficult political situation.
“The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 includes several key AMFA priorities. The bill would require foreign repair stations who repair U.S. aircraft to adhere to rigorous safety and inspection standards as U.S. repair stations,” according to US Senate Commerce Committee.
It would also provide $20 million every year to the FAA’s grant program for AMT workforce development. It would also let military personnel who work on aircraft to shift into civilian AMT employment. It would safeguard whistleblower rights for AMTs to raise concerns about their safety without fear of punishment from their employers.
Trump uses hush money trial as loyalty test for supporters
Trump spoke with reporters before the proceedings began, while Johnson and other GOP leaders and his potential VP contenders stood behind him.
“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully,” he stated. “They come from all over Washington, and they’re highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam they’ve ever seen.”
On being asked about such surrogates’ capacity to make comments on the trial without being restrained by a gag order, for which Trump has been penalised and threatened with imprisonment, Trump said, “You ask me questions that I’m not allowed to answer.”
He then complained about the courtroom, saying, “I’ve been here for nearly four weeks in the ice box,” and added, “Vivek … can speak for himself.”
