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House Speaker Mike Johnson accused New York City justice officials of committing “atrocities” against former President Trump in an impassioned set of remarks outside the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Johnson is the latest Trump ally to descend on the Big Apple as the ex-president stands trial on accusations that he falsified business documents to cover up a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged 2006 affair in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
“It’s impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another,” Johnson, R-La., said, referring to GOP-led accusations that President Biden has been shielded by his own Justice Department.
“And meanwhile … among the atrocities here, the judge’s own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson delivers remarks to reporters outside Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024. (Getty Images)
Johnson echoed accusations that Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is profiting off the trial via her firm, Authentic Campaigns, which has done work for top Democrats like Vice President Harris and Rep. Adam Schiff, R-Calif., according to the industry site Campaigns & Elections.
Trump is under a partial gag order after lobbing similar accusations.
“It’s so corrupt, it’s so corrupt and everybody knows it,” Johnson continued on Tuesday. “If [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg] thinks the American people will believe these absurd charges, take a look at the turnout at Trump events.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Authentic Campaigns, the New York courts system and a Bragg spokesperson for comment.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills are shown outside President Trump’s criminal trial in New York City on May 14, 2024. (Getty Images)
Johnson further argued that the Manhattan trial was the latest in a series of “partisan witch hunts” against Trump and vowed the House of Representatives would look at ways to “rein in” Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating Trump for his alleged efforts to upend his 2020 election loss and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
“That one is so egregious, the trial’s been indefinitely postponed,” Johnson said of the classified documents case. “I’m working with Chairman [Jim] Jordan of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman [James] Comer of our Oversight Committee on measures to rein in the abuses of Special Counsel Jack Smith.”
He said the multiple cases against Trump amount to “election interference.”
NY V TRUMP: COHEN TESTIFIES TO PAYING STORMY DANIELS FROM HIS OWN POCKET
Former President Trump awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura/Pool)
The Louisiana Republican is the highest-ranking federal official to show public support for Trump so far, demonstrating the former president’s commanding hold over the GOP, including Johnson’s own razor-thin House majority.
In addition to Johnson, former 2024 presidential candidate-turned-Trump surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy also planned to attend the ex-president’s trial on Tuesday.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., posted on X that he was in attendance.
“Great to meet with President Trump today prior to us heading to the courtroom. I’m honored to stand with the President, as America stands with him, and I view this victimless sham indictment as political theater and interference,” Mills wrote.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
