Donald Trump has claimed New York’s hush money case constitutes “election interference”, adding the trial is a “witchhunt”.
The 45th President, who is hoping to become just the second Commander-in-Chief to serve two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office, shared his thoughts outside the court room earlier today.
Trump said: “These are all ‘Biden trials’. This is done as election interference, everybody knows it.
“I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania, Georgia, lots of other places, campaigning.”
Donald Trump speaks to the media on the first day of opening arguments in his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court for falsifying documents related to hush money payments
REUTERS
The 77-year-old added: “This is a witchhunt and it’s a shame. It comes out of Washington, in co-ordination with Washington, including the DA’s office.”
The ex-President, who also labelled Joe Biden as the “worst” White House occupant in US history, concluded: “It’s a very, very sad day in America.”
Trump returned to a New York courthouse to hear prosecutors explain why his alleged involvement in a hush money payment to a porn star during the 2016 election campaign broke the law.
Prosecutors have claimed Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels deceived voters ahead of polling day.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Former attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, arrives to be deposed by Trump lawyers in New YorkREUTERSTrump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsification of business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies having had a sexual encounter with Daniels.
The property-tycoon-turned-politician defeated former First Lady Hillary Clinton by 306 electoral college votes to 232.
However, despite defying the polls, Clinton won the popular vote by 2.1 per cent.
Trump’s narrow victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were enough to put the Republican in the White House.
Donald Trump previously arriving at courtREUTERSThe 77-year-old will hope to regain the states in November, with Arizona and Georgia also potentially proving decisive.
However, Trump’s hush money case could end in conviction and custodial sentence.
US election races have previously included candidates who have run for the White House from behind bars, with Socialist Eugene V Debs running for President from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in 1920.
Despite not being blocked from a third White House bid, Reuters/Ipsos polling shows half of independent voters and one-in-four Republicans say they would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a crime.