Debunking Trump's Misleading Statements on Courthouse Matters

Former President Donald Trump continued his pattern of deceit at the courthouse, making more untrue statements about his Manhattan trial last Friday.

Trump has a history of being misleading in his statements to the media as he enters and leaves the courtroom. He is currently dealing with charges of falsifying business records. During a media appearance on Thursday, he made a false statement suggesting that a gag order from the judge prevents him from testifying in the case.

He acknowledged on Friday morning that he can testify, but he made new inaccurate claims about the case. One of his false claims was that he had been forced to post bail, which is not true. Additionally, he falsely stated that the trial is preventing him from campaigning this weekend.

Trump falsely claimed that New York City has become more violent due to the cashless bail system. He also stated that he was the only one required to put up bail.

However, the facts show that Trump's claim is incorrect. In 2023, after his arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post any cash bail. Just like many other non-violent defendants in New York, Trump was not required to put up bail.

Trump had to post a $200,000 bond in his election subversion case in Georgia, with 10% contributed by himself and the rest covered by a bail bonds company. However, he suggested on Friday that he is being treated unfairly in New York. He was released on his own recognizance in his federal criminal cases in Washington, DC and Florida.

Trump claims that New York City is "a violent city," but this is subjective. It is important to note that violent crime in the city has decreased significantly over the past twenty years. Additionally, New York City has historically had lower crime rates compared to many other communities across the country. The impact of New York state bail reforms on recent crime levels in the city is also a matter of debate.

Trump complained again on Friday about how the New York trial is keeping him from campaigning. He mentioned that he was originally scheduled to be in Georgia today, where he is performing well in the polls. Tomorrow, he was supposed to be in Ohio, and the day after that, in Florida, all for campaigning. He expressed frustration about having to attend the trial instead of being on the campaign trail.

Trump’s claim that the trial is preventing him from having campaign events this weekend is false. The trial is not held on weekends (or on Wednesdays), so he is free to campaign wherever he wants on Saturday and the day after. He is planning to fly to Florida for a closed-door Republican National Committee fundraising luncheon at his Mar-a-Lago club on Saturday, and to attend the Miami Grand Prix Formula One race on Sunday.

There is no apparent basis for Trump’s claim that he was supposed to be in Ohio on Saturday. He is actually planning to visit the state on May 15, another court-free Wednesday. Additionally, it’s unclear what his campaign internally “marked down,” but he had never publicly scheduled a campaign event for Georgia on Friday.

Trump had campaign rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan this Wednesday. A rally planned for North Carolina last Saturday was canceled due to severe weather. Despite this, he has chosen not to visit swing states or hold public events on his free days. Instead, he prefers to have dinners and meetings at Trump Tower in Manhattan or play golf at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

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