Donald Trump to Appear by Video in Criminal Case Hearing
TimeDec 25, 2022
The Facts
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday set a trial date of March 25 for the hush-money criminal case against former Pres. Trump, prompting the defendant to criticize the timing as "election interference" as it aligns with pivotal Republican primaries.
This comes a month after the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsification of business records related to the $130K payment made by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
While it's not illegal to silence someone so as to protect your reputation and marriage, covering up the action by falsifying business records is a criminal offense. This case is a testament to the fact that no one is above the law, no matter how powerful they are. Alleged breaches of campaign finance law carried out by the Trump campaign also deserve to be taken seriously.
Pro-Trump narrative
It's no coincidence that the scheduled date coincides with GOP primaries. Donald Trump is a victim of a Democratic witch hunt to suppress his influence and reclaim the presidency. Democrats have successfully weaponized the criminal justice system, which is now focused on political vengeance and punishing a political opponent instead of keeping Americans safe.