House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Friday urged the Supreme Court of the United States to take action after a Manhattan jury convicted former President Donald Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case brought by Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
In an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Johnson argued that the Supreme Court should intervene, stating, “This is totally unprecedented, and it’s dangerous to our system. We’ve all discussed this before and y’all talk about it all the time. This is diminishing the American people’s faith in our system of justice itself. And to maintain a republic, you have to have that. People have to believe that justice is fair, that there is equal justice under law.”
Johnson expressed his belief that the justices on the court, many of whom he knows personally, are deeply concerned about the situation. He acknowledged that the process would take time but was confident that the conviction would be overturned.
The House Speaker’s comments come as one of the starkest examples of Republicans calling for intervention to protect the former president in the wake of the guilty verdict. Trump’s legal team has indicated their intention to appeal the decision, though they would need to navigate the New York appellate courts before potentially reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.
Johnson’s remarks also coincide with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito facing criticism from Democratic lawmakers over controversies involving flags associated with right-wing movements flying at his homes. Many Democrats have called for Alito to recuse himself from January 6-related cases, a step he has thus far refused to take.
As Trump’s allies plot their next moves, including potential revenge against Democrats, Johnson’s plea to the Supreme Court highlights the ongoing political and legal battles surrounding the former president’s conviction.