In April of last year, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to a 34-count indictment. The charges against him included falsifying business records in relation to a payment made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election. Throughout the proceedings, the former president has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
The trial, which was supposed to start selecting a jury on Monday, has been postponed for 30 days by Judge Merchan. This decision came after defense lawyers raised concerns about the late submission of more than 100,000 pages of possible evidence by the federal prosecutors.
During the press conference, ABC News inquired about the potential impact of a conviction on President Trump’s chances of re-election. In response, he expressed a contrasting perspective, stating, “It could also enhance my popularity.”
In a separate civil fraud case, New York’s appellate court made a ruling on Monday to reduce Trump’s bond from $464 million to $175 million. Trump was found to have inflated the value of his properties in order to obtain more favorable loan terms.
During this election cycle, Trump has already testified twice in court, with the potential for a third testimony in the hush money case. With 88 charges spread across four criminal cases, the former president vehemently denies any wrongdoing. In a New York defamation case earlier this year, Trump was ordered to pay $83 million for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, marking one of his previous court appearances.
During a press briefing on Monday, Trump expressed uncertainty regarding his financial contributions towards his campaign. Despite his previous statements about using his own funds, he mentioned the possibility of being impeded by the $464 million judgment in his fraud case.
According to Trump, the initial bond of $464 million enabled him to “minimize campaign expenses significantly.”
“I will spend money on my campaign if I decide to do so,” Trump stated confidently. “There is a possibility that I might allocate a substantial amount of funds towards my campaign. However, having the freedom to make that choice is important to me.”
Trump rejected the notion of seeking financial assistance from foreign entities in order to secure the $175 million bond.
“I actually don’t engage in that practice. It’s possible that you would be allowed to, I suppose. I’m not entirely certain,” stated Trump. “The major banks, in all honesty, are located outside of our nation. Therefore, it is feasible for you to do so. However, I personally don’t have the need to borrow money. I have a substantial amount of wealth.”
