Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, targeted Maryland Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan on Sunday in response to his call for Americans to respect the verdict in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing: I don’t support what he just said there,” Lara Trump said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think it’s ridiculous and I think anyone who doesn’t speak out against something that should never have seen the light of day again during the trial, that should never have been brought against anyone other than Donald Trump, doesn’t do that. deserve the respect of anyone.”
“He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party right now,” she added. “And honestly, everyone in America, if that’s how you feel. That is very annoying to hear.”
When asked if the RNC is willing to cede the Senate seat in Maryland to Democrats and not support Hogan’s bid, Lara Trump said the committee wants the Republican Party to win, but that Hogan’s comments ‘shame’ and that ‘he should have thought about it for a long time. and harshly before he said so publicly.
Asked again if the RNC will use the party’s resources to support Hogan’s Senate bid, Lara Trump dodged the question and again criticized Hogan’s comments.
“Well, I’ll get back to you with all the financial details. But what I can tell you is that, as co-chair of the Republican Party, I believe he should never have said something like that,” she said. “I think that’s ridiculous.”
Hogan, an outspoken Trump critic and former governor of Maryland, urged in a post on X last week that “all Americans respect the verdict in Trump’s hush money trial.”
“Regardless of the outcome, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process,” Hogan wrote in a message last week on not add fuel to the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what made this nation great: the rule of law.”
Hogan’s campaign for Senate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The RNC co-chairman’s comments on CNN come after Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign adviser, made similar comments last week. In a post on
During her interview on CNN, Lara Trump also declined to provide details on the amount of fundraising that will cover the former president’s legal costs.
The RNC co-chair argued Sunday that voters have “spoken with their wallets and their wallets,” boasting that the RNC had raised about $70 million in digital fundraising in the first 48 hours after Trump’s statement.
When asked how much of that money would be used to pay the former president’s legal fees, the RNC co-chair said they were “waiting and waiting.”
“Well, everyone has the option to opt out when they donate to our joint fundraising agreement,” she said. “It is only a very small percentage of the money we receive. And so I would have to say we’ll wait and see what’s needed in the future.”
“It is clear that this has been a very costly affair, not only for Donald Trump and his campaign, but also for America,” she added. “I find the stain this has placed on our country appalling. And we will do whatever it takes to make sure the right thing happens on November 5, when the ultimate verdict will be delivered.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
