Donald Trump, whose failure to assert king-like immunity subjected him to criminal charges at his ongoing trial, brought in a new band of jesters on Thursday morning—all MAGA loyalists in Congress with colorful histories of proving their personal devotion to him.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO)—a 2020 election denier—was given the best spot in the courtroom: aisle seat in the front pew just behind the former president, making her just barely visible behind him when the five news photographers got their 30 seconds to snap pictures for the day.
Next to her was Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who once sought a presidential pardon from Trump while being under investigation for sex trafficking a teen girl—a saga that was ultimately dropped by law enforcement but is now under the microscope of a congressional ethics committee. As a sign of just how far he’s made it into the trusted inner circle, he sat next to the tycoon’s son Eric Trump.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a serial fabulist who made up much of her campaign biography but easily rode to election victory on her Trumpist credentials, had to squeeze into the second row when she discovered she was a guest of honor but not VIP. She began to turn around when Trump adviser Boris Epshetyn instead guided the congresswoman to her seat next to Trump Organization corporate lawyer Alan Garten.
But sometimes, the ones who toil the hardest get overlooked. Thursday’s entourage was so large, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) got stuck with the worst seat in the entire room—far back left corner, with eight rows of heads between him and the former president he tried to help remain in office during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. He initially tried to snag a seat up front, but after sporting a confused look, took a detour to the furthest bench in the back against the wall—a flat pew that journalists here for five weeks have uniformly agreed serves as the most uncomfortable seat in the courtroom.
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