Former President Donald Trump has denounced his ongoing hush money trial as a politically motivated ‘witch hunt’ and has urged his supporters to protest against it.
Trump, who is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, has accused President Joe Biden of using the trial to interfere with the 2024 election.
The prosecution alleges that Trump ‘orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election’ by making and concealing payments to Daniels. Trump’s legal team has dismissed the charges as baseless, arguing that the payments to Daniels were made to protect his family from an extortion attempt.
Outside the court in Lower Manhattan, Trump complained that his supporters have been banned from protesting and called on them to ‘go out and peacefully protest. Rally behind MAGA.’
During opening speeches, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury that Trump ‘orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election then he covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over again.’
Meanwhile, Trump’s lead attorney Todd Blanche told the courtroom: ‘The 34 counts, ladies and gentlemen, are really just pieces of paper. None of this was a crime.’
Addressing the hush money payment to Ms Daniels — real name Stephanie Clifford — Blanche said Trump had acted to protect his family from a ‘sinister’ attempt to embarrass him.
The trial is ongoing.
