Congressman Jim McGovern condemned House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson for speaking out in support of Donald Trump outside the former president's hush money trial in New York, RadarOnline.com has learned.
McGovern delivered remarks on the House floor during a hearing on Wednesday to argue against several proposed police-related bills and took the opportunity to launch a scathing rebuke against Trump and the House Speaker.
After expressing doubt that the bills would have any impact, the Democratic representative from Massachusetts said, "Just a piece of free advice to my Republican friends, it's probably not the best idea to take direction on law and order from a guy who, as we speak, is a defendant for covering up hush money payments to a pornstar for political gain."
"That's not even to mention the other three criminal felony prosecutions that he's facing," McGovern continued. He then held up that morning's printed edition of The New York Times and pointed out the front page featuring a photo of Johnson among the latest group of Trump allies to show up at the Manhattan courthouse and denounce the criminal trial.
The Republican House Speaker told reporters on Tuesday that Trump was "a friend," and that he "wanted to be there to support him," before calling the case a "sham of a trial."
"They are doing this intentionally to keep him here, and keep him off of the campaign trail," Johnson added.
McGovern characterized the remarks as "unbelievable" as he emphatically scolded Johnson, saying: "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."
"Unbelievable," he repeated, going on to say that "this stunt diminishes this House of Representatives," adding that Trump "has been indicted more times than he's been elected."
The House chair then asked that McGovern "refrain from engaging in personalities towards presumptive nominees for the office of president."
"I didn't think I was," he replied before continuing his rebuke, declaring that Republican credibility "has evaporated."
"They have the nerve to tell us about the criminal justice system? Give me a break!" McGovern said, before declaring, "It is pathetic!"
As he spoke at the courthouse the previous day, Johnson also took aim at star witness Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney and "fixer," who testified against his ex-boss Monday and Tuesday.
“This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge,” the Speaker said. “He is someone who has a history of perjury. No one should believe a word he says in there.”
It has become routine for Trump allies to speak out on the ex-president's behalf ahead of proceedings, delivering statements that Trump himself would be barred from making under a court-implemented gag order.
The former president has prohibited him from making public statements about anyone involved in the case or family members of the court. He was cited earlier this month for violating the order on nine separate occasions, and Judge Juan Merchan ordered him to pay $1,000 per violation.
Trump has since been suspected of calling upon some of his high-profile supporters to voice concerns about the case on his behalf. He seemed to suggest that this was his intention before Tuesday's proceedings.
“I do have a lot of surrogates,” he said outside the courthouse, “and they are speaking very beautifully.”
