Donald Trump got some good news and some bad news on Monday. While he was still in a hearing regarding the "hush money" criminal case brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, a New York appeals court lowered his bond in New York AG Letitia James' civil suit from $464 million to $175 million. That was a major win for the president, who had been rushing to come up with nearly half a billion in cash.
Less than an hour later, though, the judge in the "hush money" case rejected Trump's latest attempt for a dismissal and set a trial date of April 15th. The former president then held a presser to discuss the development.
READ: Trial Will Proceed April 15 in Trump's New York 'Hush Money' Case
TRUMP: "If I were doing poorly, this wouldn't be happening, none of these trial would've been happening. If I wasn't running, they wouldn't be happening." pic.twitter.com/73JxmfAdE0
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 25, 2024
TRUMP: "This is all weaponization of DOJ and FBI...it's illegal what they're doing, it's criminal what they're doing, and it's never bene done before." pic.twitter.com/XjoOdWQvUx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 25, 2024
Trump attacked Joe Biden by name in response to one question, saying the New York-based prosecution against him is a "Biden trial." He further speculated that a conviction could make him more popular because "people know it's a scam."
REPORTER: "Would you be concerned that a conviction...could cost you the election?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 25, 2024
TURMP: "It could also make me more popular, cause the people know it's a scam. It's a Biden trial." pic.twitter.com/PW21LVRUj0
How would a conviction in the Bragg case play out with the voting public? I don't think anyone really knows the answer to that. This is uncharted territory. There's no precedent for criminally charging a former president, much less under a novel (and highly questionable) theory of state-level misdemeanors being upgraded to felonies based on alleged federal crimes that the DOJ rejected.
Still, this latest news is a bit of a shock to the system for Republicans who had convinced themselves these cases would just go away. With the high of the primary season wearing off, the calm before the storm is ending, and these far-left prosecutions are full-speed ahead. Things are about to get very real.
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