WASHINGTON — Jason Osborne, the New Hampshire House Majority Leader, says he was upset by what he heard about the sexual assault and defamation trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.
«It’s pretty terrible to me that something like this could happen to a human being in the free world,» he said in a phone interview with NBC News.
Osborne, who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, was not politically attacking Trump, the party’s top nominee. He also showed no sympathy for E. Jean Carroll, the writer who was awarded $5 million by a civil court jury Tuesday after finding Trump responsible for sexually abusing her and damaging her reputation.
Instead, Osborne expressed his frustration with the «injustice» that «someone can take a 30-year-old case to court and win with no evidence, with nothing.»
The verdict could end up hurting Trump in his quest for a third straight Republican nomination, either because voters want to distance himself from his behavior or simply because they think he’s making it harder for their party to win in November 2024. Of course, the news it could be much more devastating in a general election with more independents and moderates who are not as devoted to Trump.
But for the primaries, many of his party allies and adversaries say the smart money is in Trump escaping unscathed within the GOP or even getting a boost.
“If you’re a gambling man, I would look at history as an indicator,” said Sean Spicer, who served as Trump’s first White House press secretary in 2017. “I haven’t seen anything in the last eight years, no problem. or impeachment, have a significant impact on the position of President Trump.»
Trump’s status as the party’s 2024 favorite was cemented after he was charged in a separate criminal case in Manhattan earlier this year. His arrest and arraignment acted as a rallying-around-the-flag moment for most Republicans, and his main rival, DeSantis, appeared to suffer for criticizing Trump over allegations he paid money to silence porn star Stormy. Daniels and tried to cover up to protect his chances in the 2016 election.
That’s not to say there weren’t Republicans criticizing Trump after the jury made its decision on Tuesday. Several Republican senators said they viewed him as less eligible as a result.
John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser and has been mentioned as a potential candidate, called for Trump to withdraw from the race.
“Donald Trump is unfit to be president for many reasons,” Bolton said Tuesday in a message to NBC News. “Today’s verdict adds one more. For the good of the country, Republicans must demand that Trump end his presidential campaign immediately and permanently.»
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, one of the few candidates who have already launched their bids, chastised Trump for «indefensible behavior» and said the jury’s conclusion should be «treated seriously.»
But the political question for Trump and his rivals is more about whether the verdict alienates his supporters, has no effect, or attracts more Republicans to support him. Most voters, fans and haters alike, have passed judgment on his personal conduct long ago.
An aide to a 2024 Republican hopeful did not mince words in predicting the effect on Trump’s chances in the primary.
«100% helpful,» said the assistant.
Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, who is also considering an offer, spoke sideways about the verdict in an interview with NBC News Tuesday on the sidelines of an event for the Center for Christian Virtue in Cincinnati.
«I think that all the stories that revolve around [Trump] they’re not what people talk to me about,» Pence said when asked about the political implications of the case.
“They are talking to me about jobs, what is happening in the world at the border, what is happening in Eastern Europe, what is happening with crime in our main cities,” he said. «I don’t think the whole range of stories that revolve around [Trump] It’s a particular focus of Republican voters or, to some extent, the American people.»
Pence also offered that Trump had never engaged in sexual misconduct in his presence.
“I would tell you that in my four and a half years serving alongside the president, I have never heard of or witnessed behavior of that nature,” Pence said in a subtle defense of Trump.
Osborne, the New Hampshire Republican leader who backs DeSantis, said he expects some division among Republican voters on the matter.
«It’s going to have two different types of effects on different people,» he said. «In some people, they will be less likely to support [Trump]and some people could make them more.»
The reaction to «bad news,» he said, is to «make the haters hate more and the lovers love more.»
Right now, Trump has far more supporters in the Republican primaries than any other candidate.