A little over two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump flashed his MAGA bat signal. As NBC News’ Katherine Doyle reported, Trump was seemingly frustrated by what he saw as a lack of public support, both inside and outside the courthouse. Since then, 100 Centre St. in lower Manhattan has hosted a veritable parade of sycophants, acolytes and minions eager for their chance to support him silently during the proceedings and stridently on the pavement outside.
Mike Johnson has a real job to do and at times seems committed to trying to do it. But even he apparently couldn’t resist the summons of the big boss.
Until Tuesday, when House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., showed up, the motley MAGA crew has been a mishmash of senators, House members, random state officials and Trump staffers. It has also been a pageant of sorts for vice presidential hopefuls. Johnson has a real job to do and at times seems committed to trying to do it. But even he apparently couldn’t resist the summons of the big boss.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, appeared by Trump’s side Monday, following in the footsteps of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas. Vance, the man who once called Trump “cultural heroin” and tweeted about voting for Evan McMullin in 2016 (he apologized for those remarks in 2021), unleashed a thread on X defending Trump against accusations that he has been snoozing in court. Calling the trial “psychological torture,” Vance complained, “I’m 39 years old and I’ve been here for 26 minutes and I’m about to fall asleep.”
3) I saw a media report a few days ago that Trump looked like he was falling asleep or bored or something. The obvious narrative they’re trying to sell is “yeah Biden is mentally unfit but this other guy is bad too.”
— JD Vance (@JDVance) May 13, 2024
It’s an absurd narrative. I’m 39 years old and I’ve been here…
Joining the procession Tuesday were other vice presidential contenders, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who is most likely a serious veep contender only in his dreams.
It should come as no surprise that Trump favors those who play to his vanity. Just last week at a Mar-a-Lago Club fundraising event, Trump seemed to be auditioning vice president options as he called them up onstage for toasts (and some roasts). Further contenders (or at least, hopefuls) are doubtless angling for a mention Tuesday night at Trump’s New York City fundraiser.
Over the years, Trump has been inclined to view his legal problems through a public relations lens. Which is why he is particularly susceptible to the perception of abandonment. His son Eric Trump has been a staple in the courtroom over the past few days, but he didn’t start the trial with his father. Indeed, Trump showed up without any family members for two weeks — an absence that was noted in the media, including by MSNBC court watchers. Eric’s wife, Lara Trump, a co-chair of the Republican National Committee, also arrived Tuesday, although Trump’s own wife, Melania, remains conspicuously in Florida.
Trump’s senior campaign staffers similarly knew it was time to show up. Recently, senior Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles made an appearance, as did former and now current campaign adviser Jason Miller and even Boris Epshteyn, a Trump legal strategist who found time to attend despite having been recently indicted in Arizona on, among other things, “conspiracy, fraud and forgery charges, related to alleged attempts by the defendants to change the 2020 election results.”
Some who have shown up have said it was to improve the former president’s morale. For example, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., made his pilgrimage to the Manhattan courthouse, then tried to argue that Trump was “going through mental anguish in a courtroom that’s very depressing, very depressing.” Tuberville went on to claim he was there mostly “as a friend.” (His subsequent comments on Newsmax seem even more ill-advised.)
Tommy Tuberville admits on Newsmax that "one of the reasons he went" to NYC yesterday was to "overcome this gag order" pic.twitter.com/cGCK5iAcsZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2024
Others may feel they owe Trump, like Speaker Johnson. When the speaker’s job was on the line, Trump sided with Johnson over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., a move that may have doomed (for now) Greene’s motion to vacate. Then there are those who know it never hurts to play to Trump’s ego, like Paxton, who never misses an opportunity to kiss the ring.
At the end of the day, everyone knows that Trump is transparent and transactional. So whether you want a job, have a job or need a job, you’d better be there when Trump calls. But whatever you do, don’t fall asleep in court.
Susan Del Percio is a Republican strategist and a political analyst for MS NOW.