SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply criticized New York prosecutors and the criminal bribery charge they brought against him, at his final rally before the start of his trial scheduled for Monday and which he described as “a communist rigged trial.”
“I will be forced to appear completely gagged. I’m not allowed to speak. They want to take away my constitutional right to speak,” said Trump, who was prohibited from speaking publicly to potential witnesses and jurors, but not to the judge and prosecutors.
“I’m proud to do it for you,” Trump told a crowd in northeastern Pennsylvania. “Have fun watching.”
Trump spoke as Israel faced a retaliatory drone attack by Iran that threatened to escalate into a regional war in the Middle East. After briefly mentioning the attack, which he claimed would not have happened if he were president, Trump launched into a lengthy tirade against his own legal troubles.
He criticized Judge Juan M. Merchan, whom he described as “corrupt,” and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, declaring himself a victim of Democrats determined to block his return to the White House.
Trump is undergoing four separate criminal proceedings as he tries to avenge his loss to President Joe Biden, creating a whirlwind of unprecedented legal and political chaos.
Jury selection begins Monday in New York in the trial where he is accused of trying to cover up the spread of extramarital affairs by making hush payments during his 2016 campaign.
It will be the first criminal trial in history against a former American president. And it will limit Trump’s availability on the campaign trail, although he is expected to speak frequently to the media after appearing, and has raised money and campaigned for months based on the felony allegations he faces.
Trump spoke at the Schnecksville Fire Hall in Lehigh County, where a long line formed outside three hours before Trump’s speech. It was the former president’s third visit this year to the vital swing state, which could decide who wins this year’s presidential race. Trump also plans to attend a fundraiser in nearby Bucks County before the event.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
2024-04-14 03:45:37
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