Former President Donald Trump once again attacked the Manhattan district attorney and judge overseeing his upcoming hush money trial on the eve of jury selection.
“Just four years ago I was a very popular and successful President of the United States, getting more votes than any sitting President in history,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Tomorrow morning I’ll be in Criminal Court, before a totally conflicted Judge, a Corrupt Prosecutor, a Legal System in CHAOS, a State being overrun by violent crime and corruption, and Crooked Joe Biden’s henchmen ‘Rigging the System’ against his Political Opponent, ME!”
The former president is under a limited gag order that prohibits him from making public statements about jurors, court staff or the relatives of the judge or Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump is, however, allowed to attack both the judge and Bragg themselves.
Jury selection will begin Monday in the landmark case, which will be the first time a former American president has been forced to face a criminal trial. Trump has been indicted on 34 felony counts related to a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors allege he used the payment to quash Daniels’ allegations of an extramarital affair and falsified business records to conceal the deal.
Trump has denied all charges and pleaded not guilty.
“I will be fighting for our Country. Election Interference like this has never happened in the USA before and, hopefully, will never happen again,” he wrote Sunday.
The former president plans to testify during the case, which he has continually attacked as a witch hunt. His attorneys lost multiple attempts to delay the trial last week after claiming the judge overseeing it had a conflict of interest and complaining the case had too much publicity, among other alleged issues.
“I’m testifying. I tell the truth,” Trump said last week, although he could change his mind. “I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case. They have no case.”