Christian Smith
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) decision to appear this week at former President Trump’s trial in Manhattan is sparking renewed backlash from some House Republicans, who are questioning why he would inject himself in such a way. prominent in a case involving an alleged affair with a porn star.
These Republicans, who asked to speak anonymously to discuss the sensitive topic, are accusing Johnson — a devout Southern Baptist who has built a career around fighting for Christian values and moral conservatism — of undermining the party’s family values image simply to get into Trump’s good graces. the party’s presumptive presidential candidate.
“It is clear that Johnson thinks it is to his political advantage to be in the courtroom during the most salacious pornographic testimony of the detainees. I think he has to answer for that,” one House Republican told The Hill.
“It seems like a strange place for him to take what he said.”
In one sense, there is no surprise in Johnson’s visit to New York this week.
The House speaker is a longtime supporter of Trump, endorsing him early in the GOP primaries and leading a House GOP conference that is overwhelmingly loyal to the former president. Trump also supported Johnson as he faced a recent impeachment threat at the Capitol, perhaps saving the gavel.
However, Johnson also created a professional identity – both before and after his arrival on Capitol Hill – centered on his deeply rooted evangelical faith and fight for traditional conservative values, both of which have been challenged by the allegations against Trump.
That stark dichotomy has not been lost on some at Johnson’s House conference, who are scratching their heads over the President’s decision to stick his neck out with his recent public appearance at the site of Trump’s secret trial.
“I was watching the news and I saw him in the background and I thought, ‘Tell me it’s not like that.’ Because there is no debating the fact that Mike Johnson is a devout Christian human being,” said a second Republican lawmaker, who also requested anonymity to speak candidly. “That’s not even up for debate.”
“It’s not good,” a third Republican lawmaker echoed.
The first Republican who spoke to The Hill referenced comments Johnson made in 2022 — which were discovered last year — that he and his son monitor each other’s porn intake with the Covenant Eyes app, a platform that “helps you live porn-free with confidence,” according to its website. The Louisiana Republican said at the time, “I’m proud to say my son has a clean record.”
“I wonder if he had to report [the New York visit] for your son,” the lawmaker said jokingly.
“If you go there and talk about the other trials, it’s different. That seems different from this trial,” the Republican lawmaker added, alluding to separate criminal cases involving Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.
“That’s exactly what the discussion has been among many Republicans this week.”
Johnson, in turn, defended his visit to Manhattan, saying it had nothing to do with the allegations in the case – which Trump denied – and everything to do with the process under which Trump is being tried.
Pressed Tuesday about the fact that the case centers on an alleged affair and subsequent hush payments, Johnson turned to procedure.
“They weaponized and politicized the American judicial system to persecute a political opponent. It is totally inappropriate”, said the president of the Chamber. “As a former attorney and former attorney, I consider that outrageous and I think it was certainly appropriate for me to state that there on grounds.”
While Johnson’s critics in the House have been reluctant to publicly voice their concerns, Trump’s most vocal Republican detractors outside the House have criticized the House speaker for his decision.
“I think it’s a little humiliating to appear in front of a courtroom and — especially one where we’re talking about an allegation of payments to a porn star,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a noted Trump critic. said this week.
“Do we have anything to do around here other than watch a stupid porn trial? I mean, this is ridiculous,” echoed Rep. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), I’m not a fan either of the former president.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), another Trump critic, was even more scathing, accusing Johnson of abandoning his commitment to promoting high-minded moral principles.
“I have to admit I’m surprised @SpeakerJohnson wants to be part of the “I cheated on my wife with a porn star” club,” Cheney said. posted this week on social platform. “Guess he’s not so concerned about teaching our young people morality after all.”
At the heart of the New York case are allegations that Trump in 2006 had sex with Stormy Daniels – a porn star who was less than half his age – shortly after his wife Melania gave birth to their youngest child. new from Trump, Barron. A decade later, prosecutors say, Trump paid Daniels $130,000 to keep silent so the case wouldn’t hurt his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump denied all allegations. But the trial captivated the country for weeks, as Daniels released his lurid version of the alleged affair and Trump’s former mediator, lawyer Michael Cohen, detailed his claims that Trump had orchestrated the payments for purely political reasons.
The trial has sparked protests from Trump’s Republican allies on Capitol Hill, and many of them have paraded into Manhattan in recent days to support the former president and protest what they say is a political witch hunt aimed solely at hurting Trump’s electoral chances in November. .
Most of these lawmakers represent the right fringe of the Republican Party conference, including Freedom Caucus leaders like Reps. Bob Good (Va.) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.), and hard-line firebrands like Reps. Matt Gaetz (Florida). . and Lauren Boebert (Colorado).
But on Tuesday, Johnson joined Trump’s motorcade alongside Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and former primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — all who were considered potential Trump running mates. Johnson became the highest-ranking lawmaker to appear alongside the former president in Manhattan.
“President Trump is innocent of these charges,” Johnson declared outside the courtroom.
Many Republicans have undoubtedly defended Johnson’s trip to New York, arguing that prosecutors have a weak case that relies on the testimony of Cohen, who has a history of lying under oath to Congress and the banks.
“I have no problem with him going there,” Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) said of Johnson. “He’s our presidential candidate and he’s on trial in the weirdest, dumbest legal case I’ve ever seen.”
But when pressed about the details of the case, Republicans went out of their way to note that they are defending the former president from the lawsuit and not necessarily from the charges themselves.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with what he’s accused of. I think it all comes down to the way the trial itself was handled and the fact that there is a lot of injustice going on,” said Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.).
Democrats argued that it was irresponsible of the Speaker of the House – a figure who is second in line to the presidency – to disparage the country’s judicial system, thereby undermining public confidence in a fundamental institution that has long been a source of pride. national.
“It is disappointing to see someone in this position, as speaker of the House, come out and speak negatively about independent criminal investigations,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Committee. “But that’s the price House Republicans have to pay. And that is the price, specifically, that President Johnson has to pay to have President Trump on his side.”
Democrats are not alone in these criticisms. Another House Republican who also requested anonymity to openly discuss the speaker’s trip raised concerns that Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, was casting doubt on the judicial branch.
“What I really didn’t like was the fact that as an officer of the court, he went out and criticized the procedures, the court, the judiciary, and that’s not fair,” the Republican lawmaker said. “And as an officer of the court you have a duty to defend that.
“It’s one thing when Trump, who is not a lawyer, does this. It’s another thing for a member of the order.”
