Failed one-term twice-impeached former president Donald Trump made an appearance at a Manhattan courthouse this morning where he’s on trial for falsifying records and committing financial fraud to hide his payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels, and it didn’t take long before the disgraced ex-head of state began spewing easily discredited lies and conspiracy theories.
The case, which was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is one of many legal landmines facing Trump as he tries to become the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
According to Trump, “We’re here for something that is not a crime! Nobody’s ever seen anything like what it is, it is election interference being run by Joe Biden’s White House! His top person was placed here… This is a terrible time for our country. This is a real dark period for our country.”
He then added:
“Virtually every legal scholar says they don’t understand that there’s no crime even if he was guilty of something, there’s no crime! So, I will say that enjoy it. It’s a sad thing. It’s a sad day for New York.”
Despite Trump’s angry protestations, the trial will move forward on March 25, Judge Juan Merchan ruled, according to CNN:
A judge ruled former President and GOP front runner Donald Trump will face his first criminal trial with jury selection on March 25 in New York.
This comes after Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the charges against him in the criminal hush money case Thursday.
The decision comes as other criminal charges against Trump in other states have yet to be scheduled, as they are going through with pre-trial motions and being challenged in court.
The trial will come in the middle of the ramp up to the general election.
Trump is also facing charges in federal court for illegally possessing classified documents and insurrection against the United States government for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which was won in a landslide by President Joe Biden.
