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Former President Donald Trump’s attorney and legal spokeswoman provided an update on the Manhattan trial.
In an interview on Newsmax, Alina Habba criticized the Democrat-dominated justice system in New York City, calling it “third world.” She suggested that the judge presiding over her client’s hush money trial routinely infringes upon Trump’s constitutional rights to a fair trial.
Habba also addressed the nearly unprecedented gag order on Trump’s business records criminal trial in Manhattan, which is the first against a former president.
“The gag orders, the unconstitutionality. I mean, what is more Colombia? Russia? What is more third world?” Habba told Newsmax TV host Carl Higbie. “This is why we have people pouring into our country, running for freedom. And now we’re gonna be like that. You know, we are that. It’s disgusting.”
During one courtroom session, Judge Juan Merchan chastised Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, as he vigorously defended Trump against the gag order. Blanche contended that Trump’s responses to political attacks shouldn’t warrant punishment, but Merchan rebuked him, stating that he was “losing all credibility” on the matter.
“What happened in court with the gag order and the anger that you’re seeing from these judges; it’s very concerning for me,” Habba said.
WATCH:
District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s successful prosecution of former President Trump on 34 counts in a hush-money case may complicate Special Counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to pursue 44 additional charges in federal courts in Florida and Washington, D.C. Judges and justices could consider the precedent set by this conviction.
The New York County ruling coincides with the US Supreme Court considering Trump’s argument for “absolute” immunity for actions taken in his official capacity as president.
According to the special counsel, no such immunity exists for illegal activities, such as plotting election interference, which are always subject to criminal prosecution.
The immunity question does not immediately impact the hush money verdict. It appears that Trump has recognized the private nature of the conduct in question.
Judge Juan Merchan noted that many circumstances of the case pertain to Trump’s campaign, rather than his time in office, and his attorneys failed to address this issue promptly.
Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that the evidence overwhelmingly suggests the payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels was a purely personal matter for the President, unrelated to his official duties.
He stated that hush money paid to an adult film star is not connected to a president’s official acts.
The justices may find that Trump’s argument for immunity strengthens in light of his conviction. In his brief to the high court, Trump warned that subjecting a president to prosecution could lead to “years of post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents.”
He argued that the threat of future prosecution and imprisonment could be exploited as a political weapon.
