Florida representative Byron Donalds said over the weekend that the Supreme Court should “step in” on Donald Trump’s guilty conviction—a not at all surprising statement given that Donalds is a Republican under consideration to be Trump’s VP, and that saying such things is basically a prerequisite for the job.
Speaking to Meet the Press on Sunday, Donalds told Peter Alexander, “Speaker [Mike] Johnson, myself included, and many Americans believe the Supreme Court should step into this matter.” (Shortly after Trump was convicted, the House Speaker told Fox News, “I think that the justices on the Court—I know many of them personally—I think they are deeply concerned about that, as we are. So I think they’ll set this straight.” Last week, Politico reported that Trump raged to Johnson, during a phone call, “We have to overturn this.”)
Claiming—as Trump frequently does—that the hush money trial was done to “interfere” in the presidential election, Donalds told Alexander, “This is being done for political purposes. Everybody knows how the court system works in New York. The only ability for this to be overturned is going to be happening two or three years from now…. That’s why what happened in Lower Manhattan was to interfere with an election.”
Donalds is said to be on a short list of names Trump is considering for VP, a group that includes senators J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio. At a campaign event in Michigan on Saturday, Trump told attendees, “[Donalds] happens to be on the list of potential vice presidents. Would anybody like to see him? I noticed your name is very high on the list.” Asked during his interview with Meet the Press if he would be ready take over as president if necessary, Donalds responded, “I think that I would have an ability to step in. I’m actually pretty intelligent. I can sift through issues really, really well. It’s about judgment. It’s about logic streams. It’s about how you make decisions at the end of the day…. Do I believe in myself? One hundred percent, I do, and so, you know, we’ll see what President Trump decides. I’m going to support whatever he does.”
In May, asked on CNN if he would accept the results of the 2024 election if Trump lost, Donalds…did not say yes.
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And in March, asked if he would certify the outcome of the 2028 election were he to be Trump’s VP, he also did not say yes! Which is worrisome! Instead, he told Axios, “If you have state officials who are violating the election law in their states…then no, I would not.”
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