Trump RAISES ‘bogus’ hush money cases at Pennsylvania rally, says ‘have fun watching’ days before jury selection begins in New York criminal case
An incensed Donald Trump raged against the hush money case against him at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, days before he becomes the first former president in US history to stand trial on criminal charges.
“In two days, the whole world will witness the beginning of the very first Biden trial,” Trump said as he addressed an eager crowd of supporters.
‘I’m proud to do it for you. Have fun watching, have fun watching,’ Trump said.
The 77-year-old former president was in Schnecksville, PA outside Allentown, where he rambled for about an hour on a wide range of topics from borderline insistence that “I’m popular!”
It was his last rally before the hush money trial gets under way in New York. Jury selection begins on Monday.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Former President Donald Trump dropped the criminal case against him in New York just days before the trial is set to begin. The former president told the audience that it is a ‘badge of honour’ to be prosecuted
“On Monday in New York City, I will be forced to sit completely gagged, I will not be allowed to speak,” Trump claimed a day after saying he would testify.
The former president blasted the judge, claiming he had ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ and claiming the case is a ‘blatant manipulation of the law’.
“This is by far the weakest criminal case I have ever seen in my 60 years,” said Trump, 77. “There is absolutely nothing here. There is no offense. There is no crime, there is no federal crime.’
Trump criticized the case, which came in the middle of him running for president.
It is the first of four criminal cases against Trump that could begin as he runs for president for a third term.
According to prosecutors, the former president falsified records to cover up the $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier.
Supporters queuing for hours to attend the ex-president’s rally on Saturday echoed some of Trump’s own statements on the matter.
Several people waiting in line told DailyMail.com the criminal case was a ‘witch hunt’ orchestrated by ‘corrupt’ Democrats and dismissed concerns that Trump was being convicted while running for president.
“I’m completely disgusted with our criminal justice system,” said Courtney Bracken, 46, who was at the rally with her son and also said she was at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
‘I honestly think the Democrats are making a mockery of our criminal justice system. I think ultimately, after all the appeals, after everything, President Trump will be found not guilty,” she said.
The line of supporters waited outside Trump’s rally in Schnecksville on April 13. Hundreds of supporters waited in line for hours ahead of the former president’s remarks at the Schnecksville Brand Hall
Supporters of Trump ahead of his campaign rally in Schnecksville, PA on April 13
Trump himself said on Friday that he would testify in the hush money case.
‘It’s a scam. It’s a scam. It’s not a lawsuit. It is not a trial, Trump also said on Friday.
A new one New York Times/Siena A poll on Saturday found that a majority of registered voters think the allegations that Trump falsified records related to the hush money payments are very serious or somewhat serious. Only 22 percent said they were not serious at all.
The accusations divided along partisan lines. Forty-three percent of Republicans said the hush money allegations were not serious at all.
Forty-six percent of registered voters said they believe Trump should be found guilty in the case. 36 percent said he shouldn’t. 71 percent of Republicans said he shouldn’t.
Trump told supporters at his rally to ‘enjoy watching’ as he blasts the hush money case against him, which begins in New York with jury selection on Monday
While only the hush money case has a set trial start date so far, the criminal case against Trump could take him off the campaign trail for a significant amount of time leading up to the election.
Trump’s campaign said it will take full advantage of Wednesday and weekends off, and the former president will also continue to deliver his message with in-person and virtual events.
They argue that court appearances and indictments have proven to backfire on Democrats and Biden and expect this case to be no different.
“Joe Biden and the Democrats’ entire strategy to defeat President Trump is to keep him out of campaigns by confining him to a courtroom,” National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“President Trump will continue to fight for truth in the courtroom and share his winning message on the campaign trail,” she said.
Trump is expected to hold in-person and virtual campaign events around the trial period. His campaign claims the courtroom appearances and indictments are backfiring Democrats
Pennsylvania is one of the biggest battlegrounds in 2024. Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes in 2020 after Trump won the state by less than 45,000 votes in 2016.
Ahead of Trump’s visit to the state, supporters lined the roads around Schnecksville, waving Trump flags and holding signs.
DailyMail.com observed one person holding a Biden sign on the side of the road near the rally, and another person waiting to greet the motorcade a little further away with a ‘Trump in prison 2024’ -sign.
Ahead of the former president’s visit, the state’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, issued a statement on behalf of the Biden campaign about Trump’s visit to the state, blasting him on the issue of abortion and overturning Roe v Wade.
“Pennsylvanians want a president who will fight for us and protect our freedom — not the chaos and extremism Donald Trump wants to bring to our society,” he said.