House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) joined former President Donald Trump at his criminal trial in New York on Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking Republican official in the country to lend support to Trump and echo his attacks on the U.S. justice system.
Johnson is the latest GOP official to visit the court as he stands accused of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who’s been mentioned as a possible Trump 2024 running mate, Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.), and Rep. Cory Mills (Fla.) also joined Trump at the courthouse on Tuesday.
Sen. J.D. Vance (Ohio), another potential vice presidential candidate, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), and Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.) made earlier appearances at the trial in support of Trump.
Speaking outside the courtroom on Tuesday, Johnson said Trump was innocent and claimed that the accusations against him are “not about justice and all about politics.” He took no questions and didn’t address the fact that the case centers on payments made to a porn star.
Last week during the trial, Daniels recounted in detail her alleged tryst with Trump in 2006 and the $130,000 deal for her silence that was sealed during the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a fierce Trump critic and onetime colleague of the speaker, chided him for appearing at the trial on Tuesday.
“Have to admit I’m surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the ‘I cheated on my wife with a porn star’ club. I guess he’s not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all,” Cheney wrote in a post on X, formerly called Twitter.
Johnson, a devout evangelical Christian, often speaks about his faith and the role it plays in his life.
“I am a Bible-believing Christian,” he said last year. “Someone asked me today in the media, they said, ‘It’s curious. People are curious. What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, ‘Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview. That’s what I believe.’”
Johnson has even addressed his disdain for porn — and proudly talked about how he and his son monitor each other’s porn intake.
The House speaker’s office said his trip to New York City was not paid for with taxpayer money. His travel to and from the city was financed by campaign dollars, as he was in the city for political events. Johnson’s trip to the courthouse for Trump’s trial took place in the midst of this.
