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Former President Donald Trump makes historical past on Monday, as he turns into the primary present or former president within the nation’s historical past to go on trial.
Trump’s hush-money trial, which is able to get underway in a New York Metropolis courtroom, can have an immediate affect on his 2024 election rematch with President Biden.
The previous president — who’s being tried on 34 state felony prices — is accused of falsifying enterprise data in relation to hush-money funds in the course of the 2016 election he made to Stormy Daniels to maintain quiet about his alleged affair with the grownup movie actress.
Trump has repeatedly denied falsifying enterprise data in addition to the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels.
COURT DENIES TRUMP BIDS TO DELAY START OF HUSH MONEY TRIAL
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump attends a pre-trial listening to at Manhattan Prison Court docket on February 15, 2024, in New York Metropolis. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying enterprise data final yr, which prosecutors say was an effort to cover a possible intercourse scandal, each earlier than and after the 2016 presidential election. (Picture by Jefferson Siegel-Pool/Getty Photos)
The previous president’s authorized crew has tried quite a few occasions, unsuccessfully, to additional delay or postpone the trial.
The unprecedented trial is the primary of Trump’s 4 legal instances — together with two for his alleged makes an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and one other for mishandling categorized paperwork — to go to trial. And it could find yourself being the one case to wrap up with a verdict earlier than the November election.
THE TRUMP TRIALS: HERE’S WHERE EACH CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT STANDS
Listed below are 5 key questions on how the trial will affect the presidential marketing campaign:
How lengthy will the trial take and does Trump should attend on daily basis?
The trial is anticipated to final roughly six to eight weeks, beginning with the start of jury choice on Monday. The proceedings are scheduled to happen weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday an off day.
The decide within the case, Juan Merchan, has indicated he could adjourn the trial for the beginning of the Jewish vacation of Passover, which begins on the night of April 22.
New York regulation requires Trump to be current within the courtroom all through the period of the trial. However Merchan could give the previous president some leeway, so Trump can attend authorized hearings in a few of his different instances that can happen in the course of the size of the hush-money trial.
Will the trial be televised?
Whereas Trump’s trial will appeal to scores of cameras, they will not be contained in the courtroom.
The trial isn’t anticipated to be televised, as a result of New York State has among the many most restrictive legal guidelines within the nation when it comes to banning cameras in courtrooms and prohibiting reside audio or visible broadcasts of trials.
However nonetheless pictures of the courtroom will doubtless be allowed. When Trump was arraigned final yr, Merchan permitted nonetheless photographers to take photos earlier than the precise arraignment. He additionally allowed TV cameras within the hallways of the courthouse.
How a lot protection will it generate?
Loads!
Trump is anticipated to proceed his observe of grabbing the media highlight — each on cable information and on-line — together with his courtroom arrivals and departures, by holding impromptu press conferences.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media within the hallway outdoors a courtroom at a Manhattan courtroom in New York, on Monday, March 25, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)
“Trump can dominate the message setting anytime he needs,” longtime Republican strategist Dave Carney instructed Fox Information. “We have by no means seen something like this the place one man – no matter he says – will get full protection. It is a phenomenon. Whether or not it is social media or cable TV and even broadcast TV, he simply dominates the information.”
Carney, a veteran of quite a few presidential campaigns, forecast that “there will probably be such protection of his courtroom instances that at occasions I’d guess there will probably be extra reporters masking his stakeout than masking the president.”
Through the Republican presidential primaries, Trump used the a number of legal and civil instances he faces to forged himself as a sufferer, which fired up assist amongst GOP voters and boosted fundraising.
A mug shot of Trump, taken final August in a separate case the place he’s charged with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia, has helped the previous president elevate hundreds of thousands of {dollars} and rapidly turned an iconic picture for his legions of MAGA supporters.
On August 24, 2023, after being indicted on racketeering and associated prices, former President Donald Trump voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities on the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, the place a mug shot of him was taken. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Workplace)
When will Trump marketing campaign?
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the trial is “election interference.”
“I don’t know how one can have a trial that’s happening proper in the course of an election. Not honest. Not honest. It’s not honest in any respect,” he instructed reporters in New York Metropolis just lately.
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However sources within the former president’s political orbit inform Fox Information {that a} schedule is being mapped out that features taking advantage of Wednesdays, when courtroom isn’t in session, in addition to weekends, when Trump normally holds rallies and different marketing campaign occasions similar to fundraisers.
Whatever the trial, Trump marketing campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita just lately predicted that “we’ve got the message, the operation and the cash to propel President Trump to victory on November 5.”
How will the Biden marketing campaign react?
The president has principally shied away from making direct feedback on Trump’s legal instances. The identical is true for his re-election marketing campaign crew, as they do not wish to give Trump any ammunition as he continues to say that the instances in opposition to him are politically motivated.
President Joe Biden speaks on the Washoe Democratic Social gathering Workplace in Reno, Nev., Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin)
“We’ll let Donald Trump deal with his personal issues — our marketing campaign is targeted on the American individuals and incomes their vote this November,” Biden marketing campaign fast response director Ammar Moussa stated just lately.
However do not be shocked if Biden allies or surrogates launch a lot sharper assaults because the trial will get underway.
Whereas Trump is in courtroom this week, the president will make marketing campaign stops Tuesday by way of Thursday in Pennsylvania, one of many six essential battleground states that Biden narrowly carried in 2020 to win the White Home.
The swing by way of the Keystone State — the place Biden is anticipated to highlight his plans to lift taxes on the wealthiest People — is seen as counter-programming to Trump’s trial.
Get the newest updates from the 2024 marketing campaign path, unique interviews and extra at our Fox Information Digital election hub.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based mostly in New Hampshire.
5 key questions on how begin of Trump’s first legal trial will affect presidential marketing campaign
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