On Thursday local time (February 15), a court in New York, USA, rejected the former ** Trump's proposal to revoke"Hush money"This marks that Trump will become the first U.S. former in history to be tried on criminal charges.
In March last year, Trump was criminally charged on suspicion of paying "hush money" to an unpopular star and falsifying business files during the 2016 election. Mr. Trump's legal woes have grown, and each indictment has become a heavy burden for his political career. This is just one of four criminal charges that Trump has faced, and he has pleaded not guilty in all four cases.
Trump, who faces 34 counts of major crimes in connection with the "hush money" case, has called on a judge to drop the charges and is scheduled to appear in criminal court in Manhattan, New York, on Thursday.
Still, the presiding judge in charge of the case, Juan Melchan, rejected Trump's application and made it clear that the case would go to trial on March 25 and that the court would select the jury members. At the beginning of the trial, Judge Merchan announced an important decision that allowed both sides to investigate new evidence. Melchan noted that the trial could last five to six weeks and reach its conclusion in late April or early May.
During a hearing, Trump's legal representative, Todd Branch, made it clear to the judge that Trump's trial during his campaign was unfair. His reasoning is that his constituents simply don't see him as a good citizen, and he's not a capable man, and everything he does in court would make the electorate feel unfair. Blanche expressed this sentiment: "This is not something that should happen in this country. ”
Merchamp responded: "This is not the basis of the law. See March 25. ”
Speaking outside the courtroom earlier on Thursday, Mr. Trump reiterated the point he had always insisted that the criminal charges against him were politically motivated.
It is worth emphasizing that even if the judge makes a guilty verdict at that time, it will not affect Trump's participation in the election or office of the United States**, even if he is imprisoned. The conviction could be an insurmountable hurdle in Trump's political career. However, Trump's conviction has the potential to negatively impact his popularity among the electorate.
A quarter of Republican members and nearly half of independent voters said they would not vote for Mr. Trump if he is found guilty in a criminal case, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Starting with the Republican primaries for the 2024 U.S. elections, Trump has scored back-to-back victories in four states, and his approval ratings significantly exceed those of the party's only contender, Nikki Haley.