'Grifting': Trump kin and allies film low-quality fundraising plea from inside courthouse
Defendant Donald Trump may gripe about being tethered to court and unable to stump for president on the campaign trail, but that's not stopping his devoted allies from turning a Manhattan courtroom into campaign headquarters.
Huddling around a lo-fi camera setup Tuesday and claiming to be at the 100 Centre Street criminal courthouse in Lower Manhattan were Trump's son Eric, his wife and RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, along with Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Cory Mills (R-FL) and former presidential candidate and vice president contender Vivek Ramaswamy.
"We're here in court with President Trump," said Donalds, while looking straight into the lens. "But we need you to stand with him too. Go to DonaldJTrump.com. Support President Trump in his efforts to win this election.
"These Democrats are nuts and they must be defeated."
It was Lara Trump's cue.
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"Anything you can give would make a world of difference," she said. "We are here fighting the good fight. They cannot win. We need your help to make America great again."
Their fundraising display from the center of Trump's criminal trial came during a show of force that saw them along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and, earlier in the week, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) among others — many dressed in Trump's signature blue suit uniform, white collared shirt and red-hued ties — denouncing the injustice going on in the courtroom.
Each delivered impassioned speeches outside the courtroom parroting Trump's accusation of a political witch hunt and attacking witnesses and the judge's family members.
Trump is forbidden from speaking about witnesses, jurors, court staff or their families under a gag order — though it also forbids him asking others to do it on his behalf.
The video got immediate reaction on Twitter.
"There's nothing to see here — Just Trump taking a break from his criminal trial to do some grifting," @gailendavid wrote.
And @JoJoFromJerz added, "This isn’t culty at all. Nope. Not even a little."
All of this comes as the former president's trial for falsifying business records entered its fourth week.
He has pleaded not guilty to business fraud for allegedly covering up a hush money payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet about a sexual relationship and manipulate the outcome of the 2016 election.