Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said in an interview Tuesday that he attended Monday’s hush-money criminal trial against former President Trump to be a “friendly face in court” for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
“I mean, I was there to support my friend,” Vance, who is considered a potential running mate for Trump this fall, said on Fox News’ “Speaking with Martha McCallum.”
“Regardless of the political implications of this trial, we will certainly find out about it. I think this is a very depressing way for Donald Trump to spend five or six weeks of his life, knowing that he is innocent. “He is that person,” he continued.
“I recognized that sometimes it can be a little lonely sitting there by yourself, so I offered to come into the courtroom and be a friendly face. And that’s all I wanted to do,” Vance said.
“And I think that’s why a lot of people want to come and show their support for the president because they actually like what he stands for. They think this trial is pathetic. And they want to show their friend some support. And I think that’s a good thing and an honorable thing to do. That’s what I wanted to do there,” Vance added.
Vance was among the Republican supporters who flocked to New York this week to show support for the former president.
Trump’s inner circle on Monday included Vance, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. All three lawmakers sat side by side in the second row of the gallery, about 10 feet behind the former president.
On Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-FL) attended the trial along with Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Cory Mills (R-FL).
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum also attended the trial.
Trump was accused of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 payment to Cohen to keep porn star Stormy Daniels quiet ahead of the 2016 election about her alleged affair with Trump a decade ago. President Trump denied the charges, pleading not guilty to all charges.
Trump is also under a gag order that prohibits him from criticizing witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the judge’s family. Nor is it prohibited to mention the judge overseeing the case or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
But Trump’s allies face no such restrictions. Vance and other Republicans criticized the gag order and took aim at witnesses and the judge’s daughter during speeches outside a Manhattan courtroom this week.
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