Speaker Johnson capitalizes on Trump’s hush-money trial for fundraising in NYC

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is cashing in on Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in New York just hours after appearing alongside the former president as he entered the Manhattan courthouse for the fifth week of his first criminal trial.

Shortly after making remarks outside the courthouse, during which Johnson decried the charges as being politically motivated and corrupt, the House speaker’s political action committee sent out a fundraising email touting his defense of the former president. The email accuses Democrats of using Trump’s trial to interfere with the 2024 election, urging supporters to chip in to end the “political hit job.”

“President Donald Trump is on trial for one reason and one reason only: to interfere with our election. Democrats are weaponizing the justice system to defeat him,” the missive states. “Democrats are putting their fingers on the scales to interfere with an election they know they’d otherwise lose. They know they can’t beat him at the ballot box … The stakes could not be any higher. The future of our country is on the line.”

Trump entered the Manhattan Criminal Court while being flanked by a number of GOP allies such as Johnson, who sought to serve as a voice for the former president as he must comply with a gag order prohibiting him from criticizing witnesses. Johnson used the opportunity to denounce Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who arrived for his second day on the stand to testify against the former president.

A handful of other GOP allies were present at the courthouse on Tuesday, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who are both considered to be contenders as Trump’s running mate. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were also there.

Democrats were quick to criticize their GOP counterparts for showing their support to Trump during his high-profile trial, accusing Republicans of pledging “fealty to Trump’s radical agenda.”

“Mike Johnson and House Republicans have all the wrong priorities,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Rather than work to deliver for hardworking families, they are too busy being sycophants to Trump, joining him in court during his criminal trial just to make the wannabe dictator feel good (or to keep him from falling asleep).”

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Johnson’s support of Trump comes as the pair have become more publicly aligned in recent weeks as Trump backed Johnson during an ouster effort from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

The two appeared alongside each other for fundraisers at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, and the two have even crafted legislation together seeking to make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. That bill came after the pair held a joint press conference last month to voice concerns about election integrity ahead of the November election.