In response to RNC Chair Michael Whatley preparing for the possibility of Donald Trump virtually addressing the Republican National Convention, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Even before Donald Trump became a convicted felon, his inner circle was already staffed by a roster of convicts and fraudsters brought on board for their loyalty to Trump and his MAGA agenda over the rule of law. Now Trump’s hand-picked RNC chair is openly floating Trump calling into the convention from a jail cell because the Republican Party has become completely beholden to a criminal who is willing to undermine our justice system and our democracy to pursue his agenda of revenge and retribution.”

NEW: Michael Whatley said the RNC is preparing for the possibility of Donald Trump virtually addressing the Republican National Convention.

Interviewer: “The convention happens next month, and your nominee could be sentenced to actual jail time four days before everything kicks off in Milwaukee. Have you planned for that at the RNC?”

Whatley: “Yeah, we’re working on that right now.”

Interviewer: “Would he make a speech from prison?”

Whatley: “Everything is being considered at this point in time.”

Trump already surrounds himself with election deniers, conspiracy theorists, and convicted felons. 

Axios: “Trump eyes convicts and conspiracists for 2024 reunion”

“Sidelined characters from former President Trump’s past campaigns — ‘crazies,’ some of his top advisers call them — are reattaching themselves to his inner circle now that he’s locked up the Republican nomination. … ex-advisers, conspiracy theorists and convicted felons are now knocking on the campaign’s door — and some are getting in.”

The Guardian: “Headache for campaign team as Trump gets the band back together”

Rolling Stone: “They Helped Trump Plan a Coup. He Wants Them Back for a Second Term”

The Hill: “Trump says he’ll bring back Michael Flynn if he wins in 2024: ‘He’s some man’” 

New York Times: “Former President Donald J. Trump recently told aides to hire Laura Loomer, a far-right and anti-Muslim activist with a history of expressing bigoted views, for a campaign role, according to four people familiar with the plans. Mr. Trump met with Ms. Loomer recently and directed advisers to give her a role in support of his candidacy.”

CNN: “Trump hosted Holocaust denier at Mar-a-Lago estate during visit with Kanye West, a week after announcing 2024 run”

Ultra-MAGA creep Corey Lewandowski has been tapped by Trump’s campaign to help run the Republican National Convention — despite having faced battery charges and allegations of physically assaulting a journalist.

National Review: “Trump Campaign Bringing on Corey Lewandowski for Convention”

Politico: “Corey Lewandowski is back in Trump’s orbit — and working with the RNC”

“In a filing Monday with the Federal Election Commission, the RNC reported paying the money to Lewandowski’s firm on April 24 for ‘management consulting.’

“No stranger to controversy, Lewandowski was Trump’s first campaign manager in his 2016 presidential bid. He has served in and been forced out of other roles in Trump’s sprawling political operation, including being removed from a top post with a pro-Trump super PAC in 2021.

“Lewandowski at the time was accused by a top Trump donor’s wife, Trashelle Odom, of making unwanted sexual advances towards her while at a Las Vegas charity dinner. He was later charged with a misdemeanor, but entered an agreement with prosecutors to have the charge dismissed in exchange for completing impulse control counseling, community service and paying a fine.”

Politico: “Lewandowski was also charged with battery in 2016 after yanking the arm of a reporter, Michelle Fields, at a Trump campaign event. The charges were later dropped, but Lewandowski, who at the time was serving as Trump’s campaign manager, claimed the incident never happened before video emerged confirming that it did.”

Convicted felon Paul Manafort has helped Trump’s campaign despite his multiple convictions for fraud and his work lobbying for foreign corporations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

24sight News: “Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for Donald Trump, has been secretly advising the 2024 re-election effort through his top campaign aides since last summer.

“Republicans familiar with Manafort’s dealings said he has played an instrumental role behind the scenes, in one clear instance helping craft the Trump campaign’s messaging.”

New York Times: “Paul Manafort, the longtime Republican strategist and chairman of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign, who had assumed an unpaid role advising party officials on the nominating convention, stepped aside on Saturday after questions arose about his involvement in the convention’s planning process.

“Mr. Manafort’s move came after The New York Times reported that he had been on the ground in Milwaukee last week for planning meetings for the convention, as well as a Washington Post story that said he was involved in work connected to foreign officials and businesses.

“Mr. Manafort, who helped stave off efforts to thwart Mr. Trump’s nomination at the 2016 convention, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for various financial crimes, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and money laundering — unrelated to the 2016 campaign — before being pardoned by Mr. Trump before he left office.”

Washington Post: “With his freedom, Manafort hardly retired to a quiet home life. Instead, the longtime power broker — briefly brought low by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — reengaged in international consulting, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and people familiar with his activities who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

“Manafort has been assisting an effort to launch a Netflix-like mobile streaming and entertainment platform in China that, according to corporate documents, has the endorsement of the Chinese government.”

Trump said he would “absolutely” rehire MAGA ally and convicted criminal Peter Navarro, who is planning to speak at the Republican National Convention this summer.

Trump: “I would absolutely have Peter back.”

The Hill: “Former President Trump said he would ‘absolutely’ rehire his former White House adviser Peter Navarro if reelected in November, despite Navarro currently being in prison.

“On the day of his release, Navarro plans to fly to Milwaukee for a book signing for his book ‘The New MAGA Deal: The Unofficial Deplorables Guide to Donald Trump’s 2024 Policy Platform,’ which is set to be released around the GOP convention and is an unofficial guide to Trump’s potential second term policies.”

Semafor: “Navarro said he hopes to speak at the Republican National Convention if he can make it out [of prison] in time, with his scheduled release date of around July 17 falling in the middle of the gathering.”

NBC News: “Navarro, who was closely involved in Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating Jan. 6.”

Convicted felon Roger Stone is back helping Trump’s campaign.

HuffPost: “Presumptive GOP nominee Trump is reportedly in talks with … longtime adviser Roger Stone to boost his 2024 campaign.”

CNN: “Stone remains an outspoken supporter of [Trump], trafficking in unsavory rumors about Trump’s political opponents on social media and hosting a radio show on a conservative New York station that debuted with a Trump appearance. He is also a regular at Mar-a-Lago and walked out with Trump’s campaign staff on Super Tuesday for the former president’s victory speech.”

Axios: “Longtime political operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone — who was convicted of obstructing a congressional probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and sentenced to 40 months in prison before Trump commuted the sentence — has been a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago lately. Stone was at Trump’s victory party there on Super Tuesday. He also has publicly weighed in on how Trump should pick his V.P nominee.”