Moments before entering the courtroom, Trump continued to deny wrongdoing in the hush money case and accused New York-based prosecutors of corruption without evidence.
After criticizing President Joe Biden’s expected announcement of increasing tariffs on numerous Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, Trump, holding papers, read aloud quotes from several conservative legal analysts who argue that the hush money trial is an effort to hurt his presidential campaign.
He slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the hush money case against him, for what he described as “making a mockery” of the legal system. He called Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil fraud trial against him, a “crooked judge.” He also argued that Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money trial, shouldn’t be allowed in the case and called on him to “rule in favor of a directed verdict immediately.”
“There is an insufficient amount of evidence,” he said. “No crime has been shown. No crime has been committed.”
„There’s never been anything like this in the history of our country,“ he added. „It’s a scam. It’s election interference at a level that’s never taken place before.“