Donald Trump’s campaign is mobilizing his top surrogates, including potential vice presidential picks, to defend him in the media as he faces a criminal trial in New York City. His campaign has circulated talking points to his allies and booked surrogates on television to support the former president. Trump is seeking maximum media coverage of his court appearances and wants his supporters to defend him on TV. The campaign’s strategy of using surrogates to maximize media coverage is similar to past approaches after his indictments, but the timing of this media defense coincides with Trump considering potential running mates.
Some of Trump’s potential VP picks are independently defending him without urging from the campaign as they see the high stakes involved in supporting the former president. Surrogates must be effective communicators to show Trump they are reliable allies. At least four potential VP contenders have made TV appearances or social media statements undermining the credibility of the case against Trump or falsely claiming election interference. They aim to emphasize Trump’s innocence and challenge the motives behind the trial, portraying it as a politically motivated attack.
Trump’s surrogates, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Rep. Elise Stefanik, have characterized the trial as a sham orchestrated by politically motivated actors. They have also accused the prosecution of election interference and called on President Joe Biden to debate Trump. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Sen. Tim Scott have criticized the trial as a violation of the rule of law and election engineering by the radical Left. Despite not being considered for VP, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has defended Trump in a video, denouncing the case as a misuse of the legal system.
The talking points circulated by Trump’s campaign focus on painting the trial as an assault on American democracy and a witch hunt orchestrated by the Biden campaign. Surrogates are instructed not to refer to the case as a “hush money case” but as entries in the company’s records, claiming Trump did not control the books. The document attacks Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and discredits Michael Cohen, emphasizing Cohen’s guilty plea to campaign finance violations and suggesting a personal vendetta against Trump. It emphasizes Trump’s innocence and asserts he faces no realistic threat of jail even with a wrongful guilty verdict.
Surrogates are encouraged to emphasize Trump’s unwavering innocence and determination to fight for the American people in their public statements. The campaign’s messaging aims to show Trump as a victim of political persecution and to undermine the credibility of the prosecution’s case. Surrogates echo the talking points in their media appearances and social media statements, aligning their messaging with Trump’s narratives of being unfairly targeted by his political opponents. The coordinated effort to defend Trump in the media highlights the importance of loyalty and communication skills in the eyes of the former president and his team.
