From House speakers to congressional candidates, politicians have made the pilgrimage with the goal of currying favor with the man who will lead the party for a
The appearances provide a visual to counterprogram the charges against Trump. Republicans have endlessly denounced the case, centered on his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, as politically motivated, but the venue provides a chance to stand beside him literally. “The Republican candidate for president of the United States is going through mental anguish in a courtroom that’s very depressing,” Tuberville told cameras outside the trial, flanked by Vance and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis .
Yet the trips to New York underscore how central the case, one of four against the former president, is to his run for the White House. The hush money prosecution is the first to go to trial, but Trump is also charged with mishandling classified documents and for election interference related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
They also lend the former president surrogates who can criticize the prosecution in ways he cannot. Trump, under a gag order, has been fined for painting the prosecutors working the case as corrupt, while he has targeted family members of Judge Juan Merchan as well.Spokespeople for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and New York court system have not responded to requests for comment.
But Mar-a-Lago will continue to be the default venue for politicians looking to make inroads with the former president. Speaker Mike Johnson there last month to tamp down a brewing House rebellion, while other Republicans hold fundraisers in the hope that Trump will stop by.