Over the past three weeks, Donald Trump has been shuttling between the campaign trail and the Manhattan Supreme Court, where he faces 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made during his previous White House bid in 2016.
Despite the intense schedule, Trump took advantage of his midweek break from court proceedings to rally his base in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan, using the opportunity to criticize the judge overseeing his trial.
Stormy Daniels (Credits: Variety)
Wednesdays serve as Trump’s reprieve from the courtroom. During his most recent break, he spared no effort in galvanizing his supporters with a clear message: He perceives the trial as unfair due to what he characterizes as a biased judge. Trump has even boasted to his supporters about an alleged increase in his poll numbers following the onslaught of criminal charges against him.
However, Trump has faced challenges in court, including fines totaling $9,000 for contempt of court due to repeated violations of the gag order set by Judge Juan Merchan.
Despite the judge’s warnings, Trump has criticized the trial and its participants publicly. While Merchan has given Trump some latitude in expressing his grievances, he has not hesitated to penalize the former president for crossing the line.
The prosecution’s case centers on convincing the jury that Trump attempted to influence the 2016 election through illegal payments and subsequent record falsification.
Witness testimonies, including that of former National Enquirer CEO David Pecker, have shed light on Trump’s involvement in the alleged scheme. Pecker’s testimony highlighted Trump’s association with Michael Cohen and their efforts to suppress damaging information during the campaign.
Donald Trump (Credits: ABC News – The Walt Disney Company)
Hope Hicks, Trump’s former White House communications director, also took the stand to discuss the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, which threatened Trump’s candidacy in 2016. Hicks revealed the initial strategy to “deny, deny, deny” in response to inquiries about the tape.
As the trial progresses into its fourth week, Trump awaits the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding presidential immunity from federal prosecution on criminal election interference charges. Despite his attempts to maintain his campaign momentum, the legal battles continue to loom large over his political aspirations.
