White House says Trump trial is 'related to 2024 elections'

The White House press secretary told reporters on Tuesday that the Trump trial in New York, and the attendance at those proceedings by House Speaker Mike Johnson, is "related to 2024 elections." That the trial against Donald Trump in New York is politically motivated and a form of election interference is something that Johnson, as well as other conservatives and Republicans, have been saying since the charges were brought in the first place.

"Was it appropriate for Speaker Johnson to show at the trial of the former president?" Karine Jean-Pierre was asked.

"So look," she said, "I can't speak to uh, um, don't wanna comment obviously as this is related to 2024 elections, and I can't speak to the Speaker's schedule, that is something for him to decide on and let's not forget this is also connected to a independent judicial process, so gonna be really mindful, and he makes his choices on what he does with his business, that is his choice to be made." The Hatch Act prevents campaigning from sitting presidents in the White House.

Many have alleged that the prosecutions against Trump, two at the hands of Biden's own Department of Justice and two brought by Democrat DAs in Georgia and New York are politically motivated. Trump has said that these trials represent election interference as have many Republican leaders, pundits and lawmakers. In saying that the White House cannot comment on the trial because it is "related to the 2024 elections," Jean-Pierre essentially admitted that the trial is part of Biden's campaign plan.

Biden boosters have said outright that they would prefer Donald Trump be in prison prior to the November election and while out campaigning Biden has made harsh comments about his political rival wasting away in a courtroom while Biden has been able to campaign unimpeded by criminal cases. In fact, when Biden faced an investigation for illegally holding onto classified documents, the case was dropped, with the investigator essentially saying that Biden is old and sympathetic. A case against Trump for holding classified documents continues in federal court.



Johnson spoke outside the courthouse in New York on Tuesday where Trump faced his fifth week of a criminal trial for falsified business records. The allegations from New York DA Alvin Bragg's office concern 34 bookkeeping entries that represent invoices, payments, and receipts for payments the Trump Org. made to attorney Michael Cohen. Bragg contends that these payments to the attorney were classified as legal fees and should have been classified differently, although the prosecution has not said how they should have been classified.

They contend that Cohen had paid a porn star to keep quiet about a dalliance she'd had with Trump and that Trump was paying Cohen back for those payments. Bragg's office has not stated how doing so is was a felony and has not yet proven in court that the payments were made for that purpose. Speaking outside the court on Tuesday, former presidential candidate turned Trump surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy contended that Cohen had been the one falsifying records.