Former President Donald Trump expressed frustration with the jury instructions in his New York criminal trial for fraud related to his business practices, claiming the whole process was “rigged” against him.
After the jury began deliberations, Trump maintained his innocence and vowed to take back the country from “fascists” in the 2024 election.
Legal experts predicted the jury would either convict Trump or end in a mistrial, noting one juror appeared sympathetic to Trump.
…Merchan instructed that Cohen is an accomplice and, as such, there is a special concern over such testimony particularly when there are benefits for testimony. There must be corroborating evidence. In other words, you may not convict the defendant solely on the basis of the…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 29, 2024
“Mother Teresa could not beat these charges, but we’ll see. We’ll see how we do. It’s a very disgraceful situation,” Trump said.
“These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged,” he added.
“We’re going to take back our country from these fascists and these thugs that are destroying us with inflation and with everything they do,” Trump added, “allowing 15, 16, 17 million people into our country, totally unvetted, totally unchecked.”
“We’re going to bring back our nation,” Trump said. “November 5. Remember, most important day in the history of our country.”
“In the meantime, this trial is rigged,” he said.
Polls have showed most Americans doubt Trump will receive a fair outcome and are skeptical of wrongdoing, while seeing the trial as irrelevant to his potential reelection.
The case centers on whether Trump illegally inflated property values.
The jury will deliberate with a goal of reaching a unanimous decision on each count.
