Several Republican lawmakers traveled to Manhattan to show support for former President Donald Trump on Monday as his hush money trial commenced with star witness and convicted serial liar Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney.

Trump’s entourage on Monday included multiple members of Congress: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, The Hill reported.

The outlet added:

The three lawmakers were all seated alongside one another in the second row of the gallery, about 10 feet behind the former president. As they waited for the proceedings to get underway, Vance and Malliotakis were chatting. Tuberville mainly looked around the courtroom.

Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) recently accompanied Trump to a court appearance, marking the New York courtroom as the newest venue for seeking favor with the former president and his supporters.

“Nice to see some elected Republicans standing behind him for once. Glad some Republicans could take time away from their do nothing jobs to support Trump in court today,” Laura Loomer, a staunch Trump ally, posted on the social platform X.

In recent days, Senator Rick Scott of Florida has criticized Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, highlighting her affiliation as a Democratic operative and suggesting that her work may have compromised the judge’s impartiality. Trump had previously made similar comments, which resulted in a reprimand from Merchan, who expanded the gag order.

Vance’s presence on Monday was especially noteworthy, considering the speculation surrounding him as a potential running mate for Trump in the upcoming November election. He stands out as the first prominent vice presidential candidate to accompany Trump in court.

During his appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, the Ohio senator echoed several of Trump’s previous assertions, stating that the case against him is politically motivated and emphasizing his innocence.

“I think that when you look at all of these attacks on Donald Trump, you have to be honest with yourself and say, this is not about law and this is not about justice,” Vance said.