Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump was greeted with enthusiasm by construction workers in New York City and is making appearances in the Democratic stronghold of New York during his trial involving hush money. Despite losing New York by a large margin in the 2020 election, Trump is encouraged by recent polls showing that he is trailing by a smaller margin in his potential rematch with President Biden in November.
Court-bound Trump gets warm, raucous reception at Manhattan construction site https://t.co/sKHvJP0wGr
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 25, 2024
“We’re going to make a play for New York,” Trump stated confidently. “We’re gonna give it a shot.” Trump received cheers and approval from the construction workers at the site for the new JPMorgan Chase headquarters, aiming to demonstrate his appeal among blue-collar workers, while also competing with Biden for union support.
Later in the day, Trump went to a courthouse south of Chinatown for another day of his trial, where the former National Enquirer executive, David Pecker, was continuing his testimony. The trial revolves around alleged efforts to suppress negative stories about Trump before the 2016 election, with prosecutors claiming it escalated into a conspiracy involving payoffs and illegal business transactions.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and asserts that the case is politically motivated to hinder his presidential campaign. The State Supreme Court Judge could decide whether to impose a fine on Trump for purported violations of a gag order that prevented him from discussing witnesses or jurors. When asked about potentially paying a fine, Trump responded, “Oh, I have no idea,” and expressed frustration over the gag order, stating, “They’ve taken my constitutional right away with a gag order, that’s all it is.”
