Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) harshly criticized Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on the House floor Wednesday after Johnson made an appearance at former President Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan.
“Look at the cover of today’s New York Times, Mr. President. This is unbelievable. Here’s a picture of the speaker of this House of Representatives, second in line to the presidency, in front of a courtroom, acting as a prop for Donald Trump, trying to interfere in a criminal trial, because apparently Republicans like the law and of the order unless it applies to them,” McGovern said.
He continued, addressing other House members on the floor, saying that the “feat” that Johnson and several other Republican lawmakers accomplished in supporting Trump in New York “diminishes this House of Representatives.”
“Their presidential candidate has been indicted more times than he has been elected,” McGovern said in comments highlighted by Mediaite.
The Massachusetts lawmaker was interrupted and asked to follow House rules and “refrain from engaging in personalities regarding presumptive nominees for the office of President.”
McGovern said he didn’t think he was breaking the rules and said Republicans “have the nerve” to complain about the criminal justice system.
“Give me a break. Your credibility on this issue has evaporated. It’s pathetic,” he said.
McGovern continued his speech, saying that the American people “deserve better” than the Speaker of the House spending time trying to influence New York’s judicial system. He argued that there are “real problems we need to deal with,” but Johnson is “spending his time trying to rationalize all of the former president’s crimes.”
Johnson, along with Senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and other Republican allies such as Vivek Ramaswamy, attended Trump’s court proceedings on Tuesday. In comments outside the courtroom, Johnson called the case against Trump “election interference” and said prosecutors were trying to keep the former president out of the campaign trial.
The Speaker of the House said Trump is innocent and is a “friend.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
