Outside the Trump Trial in Manhattan: The Trump Vice Presidential Sweepstakes

The Republican Vice Presidential pageant has been underway for some time now, and on Tuesday, outside the New York courtroom where former President Trump is facing a lawfare attack by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, several Republican politicians gathered in support of the former president. Among them were, as we might expect, several possible vice presidential candidates.

Outside the courtroom Tuesday, Trump was flanked by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Rep. Cory Mills and former 2024 GOP contender Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom are defenders of the 45th president and could be in the running as potential vice presidential picks. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also notably appeared in support of Trump's battle against 34 counts of falsifying business records, Fox News Digital reported.
"Vivek is here right now, so he can speak for himself – he said, 'This is a sham trial. It's politically motivated. It's an assault on the leading candidate for U.S. president.'… He's going to talk to you. The speaker of the House is here. We have Byron Donalds, Cory is here. We have a lot of great people here to talk to you," Trump said outside of the courtroom Tuesday.

Former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Representative Cory Mills (R-FL), and Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) all spoke:

🚨VIVEK- “This is a sham. This is a third-world banana republic.. Our justice system should be blind to politics.” pic.twitter.com/AEr845QIdL
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 14, 2024

🚨MILLS: “Cohen admitted to defrauding the Trump organization— This is the Department of INJUSTICE." pic.twitter.com/cZKtc0Bg9m
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 14, 2024

🚨DONALDS: “This trial is a joke. It’s a farce. Where is the crime? There is no crime." pic.twitter.com/uKk8GV0KC5
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 14, 2024

OK, I'm being rather (and probably unnecessarily) cynical in comparing this to a VP tryout, as I'm sure every one of these political figures spoke at this event in solidarity and support for former President Trump, and out of righteous outrage over a progressive big-city DA dragging a former POTUS through what increasingly looks like a sham trial. But that doesn't mean Donald Trump shouldn't be watching these speeches, as his VP pick has yet to be announced. And this event was sure enough a who's-who of possible veeps.

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This isn't the first such event; several key Republicans spoke out on Monday, as well.

The lineup comes after the former president was joined Monday by Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who has also been floated as a potential running mate, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and his son Eric Trump. Eric Trump is also in court with his father again Tuesday.
A Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital that the supporters all volunteered to join Trump in court to support their friend, and were not invited by the campaign.

For his part, Trump sure appears to be using this trial as part of his screening process.

The large showing of Trump allies this week comes as Trump has played coy with the press as to who he will select as his veep, only telling the media the selection will be made ahead of the Republican National Convention in July.
"This weekend, we had 15 people.... They’re all out there campaigning," Trump told Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin last week after a closed-door fundraiser in Florida. "It might actually be more effective this way because, you know, every one of them thinks they could be chosen, which I guess possibly is so."

But there's more to it than that.

This trial will be one of the major events of this election cycle. Many an undecided voter's decision may turn in part on the outcome of this case. It's a good look, while this is all unfolding, for the GOP to present a (mostly) united front. While November is a long way away, and while many people will have forgotten Monday and Tuesday's speechifying by then, the trial itself will still be fresh in the minds of voters, as both campaigns, we can expect, will make damn sure of it. And, yes, Donald Trump will be watching who showed up, and (assuming he hasn't already made his choice) he should be taking a hard look at the young, enthusiastic Republicans who stood by him to call out this sham trial.

Normally a vice presidential pick isn't a major factor in an election. But this time - with Donald Trump, assuming he wins, term-limited from Day One - the right choice of a young, charismatic, committed conservative figure may well make some folks on the fringe feel a little better about pulling the lever for Trump.