8 GOP politicians who came to Donald Trump's Manhattan trial to support the former POTUS

Republicans who have attended Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York

The hush money criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in New York has become a focal point for ambitious Republican politicians looking to showcase their loyalty. In recent weeks, the Manhattan criminal courthouse has seen visits from the speaker of the House, several GOP senators, potential vice-presidential candidates, over a dozen House members, and even two state attorney generals. As a result, at least one senator missed a vote, a congressional markup was postponed, and numerous Republican leaders have come out and belligerently fought for their party's presumptive 2024 presidential nominee in media appearances. It's important to note that the 77-year-old MAGA strongman is presently under a gag order, preventing criticism of jurors and witnesses, and therefore, by proxy, his party's elected officials have come out and derided the judge, jury, and the entire justice system on behalf of him. However, former First Lady Melania Trump has not once visited the courtroom to support her husband amid his multiple legal battles despite Trump's older kids stepping in from time to time to testify in court, and defending their father in media appearances. Here's a list of notable Republican leaders who have attended the trial so far.

1. Senator Rick Scott

On Thursday, May 9, Sen Rick Scott of Florida became the first elected Republican congressman to attend the highly-publicized trial against former President Donald Trump in the Manhattan Criminal Court. The ex-Commander-in-Chief faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records in an effort to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The former Florida governor told reporters outside the courtroom that "what he is going through is just despicable" and that the trial was being carried out by "political thugs" and was "clearly criminal." Sen Scott visited during the week while the Senate voted on a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for the next five years. The Sunshine State senator, who is up for reelection in November, ended up missing a procedural vote on the bill later that day.

2. Senator JD Vance

On Monday, May 13, Sen JD Vance of Ohio was one of the second group of Republican senators to show up at the criminal trial proceedings against the former POTUS. Sen Vance was also the first vice presidential contender to have come out and visited Donald Trump at the Manhattan courthouse. Later, he resorted to social media, stating that the "main goal of the trial is psychological torture" and labeling the courtroom as "dingy."

3. Senator Tommy Tuberville

Alongside Senator JD Vance, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama attended the hush money trial and mocked the jury, calling them "supposedly American." Following his visit to the Manhattan criminal courthouse, Tuberville appeared on the conservative network Newsmax and admitted that he came to the trial to help former President Trump "overcome this gag order."

4. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who is considered a potential vice presidential candidate for Donald Trump come November, was in attendance at his Manhattan trial on Tuesday, May 14. He and other Republicans who were present on that very day caught the eye of social media users for wearing seemingly coordinated outfits during their visit to demonstrate their party's full support of the embattled former President. Burgum dubbed the hush money trial a "sham trial" and a "scam trial."

5. Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur, and former GOP presidential candidate, visited the 2024 presumptive nominee Trump at his hush money trial the same day as Burgum. While addressing the media outside of the Manhattan Criminal Court on behalf of the former President, Ramaswamy committed a slip-up which also gained attention on social media. Ramaswamy said, “God bless our country. I pray for our future, and let’s pray for our country being stronger on the other side of this disgusting sham politician,” before promptly correcting his gaffe, “Prosecution,” he swiftly rectified. Before he visited New York, the billionaire took to X and chastised the Biden administration's “sham trial,” criticizing it as “a politically motivated assault on the leading candidate for US President, green-lit by his political opponent, Joe Biden, and carried out at the highest levels of the White House and Department of Justice.”

6. House Speaker Mike Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson, the highest-ranking Republican to visit the trial, went to Manhattan on the same day as Burgum and Ramaswamy. Without fielding any questions, the speaker gave a series of statements in which he criticized Michael Cohen, the judge, and the district attorney. "He is soon to be officially the nominee of one of the major parties in our country," Johnson said referring to Donald Trump. "Running for president, and they have him tied up here in this ridiculous prosecution. That is not about justice, it's all about politics, and everybody can see that." In his concluding remarks, the House GOP Speaker insisted that he came to the trial "on my own" because he's "deeply concerned about this."

7. Rep Lauren Boebert

On Thursday, May 16, a large group of House Republicans gathered for Donald Trump's trial. Among them was Rep Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who faced "Beetlejuice" chants as she addressed reporters outside the courtroom. Prior to her visit, Boebert posted on X, "I'm in New York City for court with President Trump today," adding "We are 100% behind him!" In a later social media post, she criticized the daughter of New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing Trump's case. She alleged that the judge's daughter has received substantial sums of money from Democratic campaigns throughout the United States. “I wonder if I'll run into Judge Merchan's daughter here in court today. She's probably too busy being paid millions and millions of dollars by Democrat campaigns all across the country and won't be able to make it. She's likely busy working for Shifty Schiff again today...,” the MAGA-aligned congresswoman wrote.

8. Rep Matt Gaetz

Congressman Matt Gaetz reiterated former President Donald Trump’s notorious statements regarding the far-right 'Proud Boys' when he attended the hush money trial on Thursday. Additionally, the Florida GOP lawmaker wrote on social media, “Standing back, and standing by, Mr President,” along with a photo of his group of ever-ardent supporters standing outside the criminal courthouse where the MAGA figurehead is on trial for 34 felony counts stemming from the hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 general election.