SC Attorney General calls Trump trial a ‘travesty of justice’ outside Manhattan courthouse

NEW YORK (WCBD) – South Carolina’s top prosecutor slammed the ongoing hush-money trial against former President Donald Trump as a ‘travesty of justice’ on Monday.

Appearing outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is standing trial for falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to interfere with the 2016 election, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson blasted the proceeding as “a sham trial.”

“What we’re seeing today is the prosecution of a person because of who he is, not what he is alleged to do,” Wilson (R) said as counterprotesters shouted over him. “What is happening today is a travesty of justice. They’re ignoring the rule of law.”

Wilson, along with a handful of other elected officials, is the latest in a parade of GOP politicians who have flocked to the former president’s side in New York over the past week.

His appearance also came as Trump’s attorneys wrapped up cross-examination of the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen, who revealed on Monday that he stole from the Trump Organization when he worked as the company’s lawyer on behalf of the former president.

“He’s lied to the media, he’s lied to the organization, he’s lied to Congress. He’s lied to the court,” Wilson chided. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress in 2018.

“So as a prosecutor, as someone who’s spent his entire career defending the rule of law, upholding victims’ rights, and trying to defend the system of justice this country is built on, I’m up here to show my support for not only for president trump but the judicial system,” Wilson said, adding that he “chose” to attend rather than being asked.

Wilson, seen as a potential 2026 candidate for South Carolina governor, has been a consistent ally of the former president, backing Trump in the Republican presidential primary against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

He joined Trump for a visit to Palmetto State Armory in September 2023 ahead of the former president’s rally in Summerville, which he also attended.

A spokesperson for Wilson’s office said all costs associated with the trip were covered through his campaign account.

The Hill contributed to this report.