Charlie Sykes: It’s Not Normal for the Speaker of the House to Appear at the Felony Trial

EXCERPT:

SYKES: “Look, you know, it's one thing for Republicans to say, 'OK, we like Donald Trump because of his policies on taxes or on the border or on education.' But what's happening now is that it's become the new litmus test, you have to -- you have to embrace it all. You have to -- you have to embrace the the election, denial, the lies, you have to embrace the insurrection, you have to embrace the -- you know, the hush money to a porn star, the multiple affairs, you have to embrace the obstruction of justice, you have to make yourself part of the obstruction of justice. I mean, that's -- that was one of those moments where you go, 'OK, we need to remind everybody that this is not remotely normal,' that the speaker of the House of Representatives would show up at the felony trial, supporting Donald Trump, not in spite of his character, but embracing all of it, and then basically using his position to -- to -- to -- to violate the gag order, to say things that the judge says do not -- you know, do -- you know -- this -- this would affect the trial. Now, whether this is going to have any effect on the jury, we don't know, whether it is going to intimidate the jury, whether it's going to impress the jury. But again, we're seeing a scene in American politics that we have never seen before, and which was unimaginable until the last two days. And by the way, as you guys have pointed out so much for the party of -- of morality so much for the party of law and order."