- Trump publicly thanked Johnson for his column in a post on TruthSocial
- Johnson called those behind Trump’s prosecution ‘liberal elites’
- Trump has vowed to appeal his conviction
Donald Trump openly thanked Boris Johnson in a post on TruthSocial after the former British Prime Minister wrote an article for The Daily Mail in support of the now-convicted ex-president.
In his first press conference in the aftermath of the guilty verdict, Trump repeatedly referenced a DailyMail.com poll showing his popularity bounce after the jury’s controversial decision.
Johnson wrote that Trump had been the victim of a ‘machine-gun mob-style hit job’ and called those responsible for the prosecution ‘liberal elites.’
On Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to stop porn star Stormy Daniels from going public about the pair’s alleged tryst.
Trump is the first US president to ever be convicted of a crime coming six months before the rematch between him and incumbent Joe Biden. He faces sentencing on July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention begins.
Boris Johnson pictured with Trump at the UN General Assembly in 2019 when both were in power
Johnson then called the trial ‘nakedly political’ and ‘completely artificial and said Trump was caught by the Democrats over a ‘technicality’
Late Sunday, Trump wrote on his social media platform: ‘Thank you to Boris Johnson!’ He followed that up by posting three quotes from the article.
‘This was a machine-gun mob-style hit job on Trump. It was nakedly political – and will make his victory more likely, not less,’ read the first.
Johnson then called the trial ‘nakedly political’ and ‘completely artificial and said Trump was caught by the Democrats over a ‘technicality,’ views that the real estate mogul endorsed.
‘Except that everyone with any common sense can see what I consider their real motives, how they were combing the rule book for stuff to use against Trump,’ Johnson wrote.
Elsewhere in the piece, Johnson said that the American public knew the case ‘by and large, a load of stunted-up old nonsense.’
‘The vast mass of American voters could see what I believe was really happening: that the liberal elites were just appalled at Trump’s continuing popularity and his ability to connect with voters — and they were using anything they could find to derail his campaign,’ Johnson went on.
‘If you look dispassionately at his time in office, both on the domestic and international front, it was far more successful than his Left-wing critics allow. They should not be using legal tricks like this to prevent him from receiving the judgment that really matters — the verdict of the people.’
Johnson added that the conviction will make a Trump-victory in November ‘more likely, not less.’
Trump also posted a picture of the two former leaders sitting together. Earlier, Trump said that he will appeal his conviction.
Both current Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer stood on the fence regarding Trump’s conviction when asked about it on the campaign trail.
‘What I would say is the US has always been a key partner and ally of the United Kingdom. I’ve always had a good relationship with my opposite number, any British prime minister should prioritize that. Of course I respect the justice system of the United States,’ Sunak said.
‘We will work with whoever is elected president … but it is an unprecedented situation, there is no doubt about that,’ Starmer said.
Trump and Johnson have a storied history together with the former president once calling the former London mayor ‘Britain Trump.’
In recent months, it’s been reported that Johnson has attempted to lobby Trump in order to convince him to support Ukraine aid amid the Russian invasion.
Back in 2022, Trump called Johnson a ‘friend’ but said he ‘went liberal all of a sudden, he went to the other side.’
Meanwhile, in an appearance on Fox & Friends over the weekend, Trump revealed how his wife and youngest child are coping with his conviction.
‘It’s tougher, I think it’s probably in many ways it’s tougher on my family than it is on me,’ Trump said.
‘I have a wonderful wife who has to listen to this stuff all the time,’ he said. ‘I think it’s very hard for her, you know she has to read all this c**p.’
Trump said his 18-year-old son Barron, who recently graduated from the Oxbridge Academy, has focusing on his future.
‘He’s amazing. He’s tall, good looking, he’s a very good student. He’s applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes, you know? He’s very sought after from the standpoint, he’s a very smart guy,’ the ex-president said.
‘He’s a very tall guy and he’s a great kid. He’s cool. He’s pretty cool, I’ll tell you.’