(The Hill) – Former President Donald Trump aired grievances on social media ahead of opening arguments in his trial over an alleged hush money scheme, taking aim at prosecutors and urging demonstrators to “peacefully protest” in support of him.
In a post just before he left for the courthouse, Trump questioned why pro-Palestinian protesters were allowed to “roam the Cities, scream, shout, sit, block traffic, enter buildings, not get permits, and basically do whatever they want” while his supporters are “rudely and systematically shut down and ushered off to far away ‘holding areas,’ essentially denying them their Constitutional Rights.”
“America Loving Protesters should be allowed to protest at the front steps of Courthouses, all over the Country,” Trump added, appearing to reference how demonstrators who have shown up outside his trial have been kept across the street from the building.
Trump urged his supporters to “GO OUT AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. RALLY BEHIND MAGA. SAVE OUR COUNTRY!”
The post came as opening statements were expected to begin Monday in Trump’s trial over charges that he falsified business records with the intent to defraud and to commit or further another crime as part of an alleged hush money scheme to keep an affair quiet.
Trump in a Truth Social post late Sunday reiterated his false claim that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen before launching into a diatribe about the hush money case in New York City.
“Tomorrow morning I report to a New York Criminal Court for a Trial on, somewhat ironically, ELECTION INTERFERENCE, ruled over by Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, before a Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge, a failed Soros funded District Attorney who didn’t want to bring this case, which could have been brought eight years ago, but wasn’t, in an almost completely Democrat District,” Trump wrote, echoing many of the same claims he has made for months in the case. The case is being led by New York prosecutors, not the federal Department of Justice.
“IT IS A SHAM THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT, EXCEPT TO TRY AND DAMAGE BIDEN’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME. SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING!” Trump added.
In a separate post on Sunday, Trump specifically attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is leading the case against Trump and defended the payment at the heart of the hush money case as a “legal expense.”
“What other term would be more appropriate??? Believe it or not, this is the pretext under which I was Indicted, and that Legal Scholars and Experts CANNOT BELIEVE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is also the perfect Crooked Joe Biden NARRATIVE – To be STUCK in a courtroom, and not be allowed to campaign for President of the United States!”
Trump is required to attend the trial in New York City, which takes place four days a week and is expected to last several weeks. He has scheduled campaign rallies on the weekends, though his planned event last Saturday in North Carolina was canceled due to severe weather.
