Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird at Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York – KCCI Des Moines
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Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was in a New York City courtroom Monday for Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
The former president is accused of falsifying internal business records to cover up hush money payments by logging them as legal expenses. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts.
Bird, a Republican who endorsed Trump ahead of the Iowa caucuses, was seen Monday — Day 16 of the trial — entering the courthouse with Trump’s entourage that also included Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. She sat near the front of the courtroom during testimony from Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen. She also spoke outside the courthouse during a break on Monday.
KCCI has reached out to Bird’s office, which provided this statement on her behalf:
“Politics has no place in a criminal prosecution. I am glad to stand with President Trump in New York today in opposition to the lawfare being waged against him. It is clear that Biden and his far-left allies will stop at nothing to silence President Trump’s voice and keep him off the campaign trail by keeping him tied up in court. It is wrong, it is election interference, and our country deserves better. President Trump, America is in that courtroom with you.”
Watch Bird’s brief comments in the video player below
Bird attended the 16th day of Trump’s trial. Her office did not share why she chose to visit Monday’s proceedings and did not clarify what funding was used to pay for her trip.
Her office did tell KCCI that no taxpayer dollars were used to fund her trip to New York and that Bird was “off the clock” on Monday. She will be back in Iowa by Tuesday.
In a statement, the Iowa Democrats said Bird is “once again showing how she prioritizes photo ops over public service,” and party chair Rita Hart questioned whether Bird used tax dollars for the trip.
“Iowans deserve to know whether their hard-earned money is going to a political photo op 1,100 miles from the State Capitol. Even more so, Iowans deserve an Attorney General that’s focused on serving her constituents – not her political ambitions,” Hart said.
KCCI Political Analyst Dennis Goldford called Bird’s trip to New York “irregular” but predictable.
“If you have political ambitions in the Republican Party, at least through the end of this week, when things can always change, you’ve got to be on the good side of those Trump supporters. I would be surprised if the attorney general’s office were the end of Brenna Byrd’s political interests,” Goldford said.
IA attorney general @BrennaBird spotted in NY for Trump’s trial today. In CNN video, you can see her standing behind Trump outside the courtroom. Bird was the 1st statewide official to endorse Trump ahead of the caucuses. Her office hasn’t confirmed why she’s there @KCCINews pic.twitter.com/mgDydWYfKw
In his speech on Jan. 15 after winning the Iowa caucuses, Trump thanked supporters who were lined up on stage with him, including Bird.
“One woman in Iowa who really stepped up was your attorney general,” Trump said.
“Glad to do it,” she said while hugging the former president. “We need you.”
“She’s gonna be your governor someday, I predict,” Trump said.
Asked about the comment later that night by KCCI’s Todd Magel, Bird said: “That was a kind thing for him to say. … I’m pretty focused on my current job. … We have a great governor in Kim Reynolds.”
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Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
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