Trump Hush Money Trial Set for March 2024
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday set a trial date of March 25 for the hush-money criminal case against former Pres. Trump, prompting the defendant to criticize the timing as "election interference" as it aligns with pivotal Republican primaries.
Facts
- Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday set a trial date of March 25 for the hush-money criminal case against former Pres. Trump, prompting the defendant to criticize the timing as "election interference" as it aligns with pivotal Republican primaries.1
- This comes a month after the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsification of business records related to the $130K payment made by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels.2
- Prosecutors and Trump's legal team will exchange documents and evidence in the coming months, with Aug. 29 being set for any new defense motions — including a motion to dismiss the case — and Oct. 10 for prosecution responses. Motions will be ruled on Jan. 4.3
- Judge Merchan also warned Trump and his team not to publicly disclose evidence that's not currently in the public domain out of concern that the information may be used for witness intimidation or to rally Trump's base.4
- This case is one of several legal battles involving the former president. Earlier this month, Trump was found liable for the defamation and sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll. Trump was ordered to pay approximately $5M.5
- As of Wednesday, FiveThirtyEight's national polling average for the 2024 GOP presidential primary shows that Trump is leading his closest competitor, Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis, by approximately 33 points.6
Sources: 1Forbes, 2FOX News, 3New York Times, 4Washington Post, 5BBC News, and 6FiveThirtyEight.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. While it's not illegal to silence someone so as to protect your reputation and marriage, covering up the action by falsifying business records is a criminal offense. This case is a testament to the fact that no one is above the law, no matter how powerful they are. Alleged breaches of campaign finance law carried out by the Trump campaign also deserve to be taken seriously.
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Breitbart. It's no coincidence that the scheduled date coincides with GOP primaries. Donald Trump is a victim of a Democratic witch hunt to suppress his influence and reclaim the presidency. Democrats have successfully weaponized the criminal justice system, which is now focused on political vengeance and punishing a political opponent instead of keeping Americans safe.
