Mike Johnson comes to Trump’s defense

NEW YORK — Speaker Mike Johnson, the most powerful evangelical Christian in American government, became the latest Republican to join Donald Trump’s entourage at his trial Tuesday over hush-money payments to a porn star.

Johnson, a devout Southern Baptist who has publicly discussed his own efforts to avoid viewing online pornography, isn’t the first elected Republican to put aside moral qualms to reap the benefits of closeness with Trump. And like other Trump surrogates who have appeared at the Manhattan courthouse in recent days, Johnson, himself a lawyer by trade, wasn’t there to speak about Trump’s conduct, but to argue against the merits of the legal case.

“I wanted to be here myself and call out what is a travesty of justice,” Johnson told reporters after calling a press conference outside the courthouse, while jurors inside heard testimony from Michael Cohen, the former Trump fixer turned state’s witness. As Johnson spoke, Cohen told jurors about the scramble for damage control in 2018 as news broke of a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, who said she had sex with a married Trump years earlier.

Johnson on Tuesday referred to Trump as “a friend,” and did not take questions from reporters. He said he decided to join the former president after calling him on the phone to express his support. An aide to Johnson told POLITICO that the speaker "volunteered" to come to the trial while he was in New York, "and was not proactively invited by the [Trump] campaign."

For Johnson, who last week weathered an ouster attempt from his right flank, sticking close to Trump provides much needed political cover. And defending him during his criminal trial is now an all-but-mandatory loyalty litmus test ahead of a potential second Trump White House, the prospect of which is becoming increasingly realistic as Trump continues to lead in general election polling.

Trump and his team of advisers have made use of the prominent Republican allies willing to show up and support him during the trial, not just at the courthouse but also on television.

"I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully,” Trump said before entering the courtroom on Tuesday. “They come from all over Washington, and they're highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam they've ever seen."

But for Johnson and other Republicans who have shown up to support Trump at the New York hush money trial — including potential vice presidential contenders, like Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio — their defense of the former president comes long after they made very different comments about him as a candidate eight years ago: That his moral character was disqualifying for conservative leadership.

Trump, Johnson wrote in a Facebook post in August 2015, when he was a Louisiana state legislator, “lacks the character and the moral center we desperately need again in the White House,” the New York Times previously reported.

While appearing on CNN on Sunday, Vance was questioned about his own remarks about Trump in 2016, after the leaked “Access Hollywood” tape revealed Trump bragging about grabbing women’s private parts. “Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us,” Vance said at the time in a now-deleted Tweet. “When we apologize for this man, lord help us.”

Both Johnson, Vance, and a host of other Republicans who made similar comments ahead of Trump’s presidency have long since distanced themselves from their past criticisms of him, explaining that they were mistaken about Trump’s ability to be a successful president.

Despite waiting longer than some elected Republicans to endorse Trump’s primary election campaign, Johnson did so last fall, and has since made efforts to keep a close relationship with the former president. And it has worked to Johnson’s benefit.

Johnson has emphasized his relationship with Trump as he faces criticism from hardline conservatives who believe he has failed to fight for their priorities and undercut their majority heading into November. As Johnson tries to turn his conference's focus toward the election, he is increasingly highlighting his ability to work with Trump in 2025 if Republicans win the White House and he keeps his speakership.

The House speaker visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home last month as he faced a possible ouster led by a fellow Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was angry about Johnson’s openness to Ukraine aid. There, Trump threw Johnson a lifeline, endorsing his performance as speaker (“He’s doing about as good as you’re going to do”) and keeping other right-wing antagonists at bay.

Other Republicans looking to remain in Trump’s good graces have also made the trip to the courthouse, starting with Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last week, Vance and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on Monday, and on Tuesday, Trump’s former presidential primary rivals, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. He has also been flanked this week by several Republican congressmen, as well as attorneys general from Iowa and Alabama.

This is also Johnson’s second visit to New York in less than a month. In April, the speaker visited Columbia University at the height of the student protests over Israel, where he urged the school’s president to step down.

Jordain Carney contributed to this story.