Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) sharply criticized Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on the House floor Wednesday after Johnson made an appearance at former President Trump’s criminal hush money trial in Manhattan.
“Look at the cover of today’s New York Times, Mr. Speaker. This is unbelievable. Here’s a picture of the Speaker of this House of Representatives, second in line to the presidency, standing in front of a courthouse, acting as a prop for Donald Trump, trying to interfere with a criminal trial, because apparently, Republicans like law and order unless it applies to them,” McGovern said.
He continued, addressing fellow House members on the floor, saying the “stunt” Johnson and several other Republican lawmakers pulled by supporting Trump in New York, “diminishes this House of Representatives.”
“Their candidate for president has been indicted more times than he’s 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 towards 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. Their credibility on this issue has evaporated. It is pathetic,” he said.
McGovern continued his speech, saying the American people “deserve better” than the Speaker of the House spending time attempting to influence the court system in New York. He argued there are “real problems that we need to deal with,” but Johnson is “spending his time trying to rationalize all of the former president’s crimes.”
Johnson, along with Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and other Republican allies, like Vivek Ramaswamy, attended Trump’s Tuesday court proceeding. In remarks outside the courthouse, Johnson slammed the case against Trump as “election interference” and said prosecutors are trying to keep the former president off the campaign trial.
The Speaker said Trump is innocent, and he is a “friend.”