6:11 p.m. ET, May 14, 2024
Ohio senator says he was at Trump trial as a friend because it’s “lonely to sit up there by yourself”
Ohio Sen. JD Vance said he attended Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Tuesday to support the former president.
“I was there to support a friend,” Vance told Fox News.
“This is a very depressing way to spend five, six weeks of your life when you know that you’re innocent, as Donald Trump knows that he is,” Vance said. “Recognizing that sometimes it’s a little bit lonely to sit up there by yourself, I offered to come in and maybe just be a friendly face in the courtroom.”
Vance reiterated how he has “never spoken” to Trump about being his vice president. He said the running mate speculation did not come up when he appeared in court with Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Other potential vice president contenders, such as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, were also in attendance.
“I see these same media reports that everyone else does,” Vance said. “I certainly want to be helpful to the president, however, whatever form that takes, but I have never spoken to Donald Trump about becoming his vice president.”
Using the same language as Burgum, Vance described Trump’s ex-attorney Michael Cohen as a “serial perjurer.” He also argued that the gag order was an insult to Trump and the American people.
Source: Trump defense cross-examines Michael Cohen in hush money trial