dailycaller.com
Many of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress — and rumored vice-presidential contenders — described a “depressing” and dreary scene in the former president’s Manhattan courtroom during exclusive interviews with the Daily Caller.
Since his trial began in April, a number of allies from the House and Senate have visited Trump in court to show their support as he and his campaign are restricted by a gag order from New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. The gag order has hamstrung his campaign, preventing the GOP nominee from speaking about individuals like Matthew Colangelo, a lead prosecutor in the case who spent two years serving in the Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ).
Allies have stepped in to defend Trump in the court of public opinion while he cannot do so himself.
“These are politically motivated trials, and you can feel that the system there has been rigged against him. This is not about justice, it’s all about politics,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Caller. “The judge’s attitude towards President Trump is shown clearly by his actions, procedural decisions, and his broad gag order. They are working to keep him in the courtroom and off the campaign trail. The people of this country can see that the judicial system there is using all the tools at its disposal to punish one president and provide cover for another.”
Many have raised questions about Colangelo’s move from the DOJ to work in the Manhattan DA’s office at the same time District Attorney Alvin Bragg was investigating Trump for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Bragg, who ran for office on convicting Trump as Manhattan District Attorney, indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, all of which the former president pleaded not guilty to.
Trump and his campaign are also not allowed to speak about his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, or the jury. Cohen, who is a key witness in the case, has come under fire for discussing the case on TikTok while raising money for himself.
“I mean, It was depressing because you’re watching this mockery of the court system in front of your eyes, like the star witnesses is Michael Cohen, the guy’s a liar, a tax evader. He makes money going after President Trump. He makes money, frankly, defaming President Trump, and that’s your star witness. It was a joke,” Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds said. “And so, it was actually good to be there when they were actually going through their evidence. And you’re sitting there and as a layperson, you’re like, where is the crime? Can somebody explain this to me?”
The limitations apply to the entire campaign, tying the hands of the Trump political operation to fight back on a critical issue in the presidential race, one source familiar with the situation told the Caller.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Donalds said that Judge Merchan’s body language came off as “arrogant” and said he seemed like a “jerk.”
“You know, there was like a there was like a arrogance. Not somebody who was just like, okay, this is very serious, this is a serious matter. Obviously, you know, you have a former president in here…
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