How Melania Trump Will Play Key Role In Donald Trump's Defense In The Stormy Daniels Trial
By Favour Adegoke on February 16, 2024 at 11:45 AM EST
Former U.S. President Donald Trump will reportedly argue in the Stormy Daniels trial that he concealed the payment of hush money for his affair so as not to offend his wife, Melania Trump.
With his legal troubles piling up, Trump is expected to receive a judgment on his New York fraud trial, where he faces nearly $400 million in fines and a lifetime ban from real estate deals in New York.
Donald Trump's Lawyers Might Argue Hush Money Had' Nothing To Do With The Election'
Trump is scheduled to face trial next month for allegedly paying hush money to two women, Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The trial, dubbed the Stormy Daniels trial, aims to determine if Trump can be on the ballot for the upcoming election later this year.
Prosecutors have already argued that Trump falsified records to conceal payments, which they believe is an act of withholding truthful information from voters, thereby violating the electoral laws.
However, it is understood that Trump won't deny that he concealed payments. Instead, he would argue that the reason was to hide the affairs from his wife, Melania Trump, and not as a preventive move to avoid knowledge of the affairs being used by his then-opponents to malign him.
"I see the defense as being more about: 'I wanted to keep this away from my wife. It had nothing to do with the election; it had to do with my wife,'" said Andrew Weissmann, an expert attorney and professor, per Newsweek.
Donald Trump 'Didn't Really Care' If The Allegation Came Out Post-Election, Says Expert
While it remains to be seen if this is what would happen when the trial begins on March 25, Weismann claims that "there are very strong facts against" such a notion being the true "scenario."
He mentioned that the prosecuting lawyers would most likely "present evidence" that Trump did not care about the affairs coming to light after election day, implying that it was indeed done to conceal information from the voters.
"The allegation is that he didn't really care if this came out after the election," Weismann said.
He added, "Well, if you were really trying to keep it from your wife, then you would never want it coming out. It won't be that you were ok with telling her, but you were waiting for the election to be over."
In the meantime, Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges in the Stormy Daniels trial. He has also mentioned on a number of occasions that his political enemies are targeting him to endanger his re-election bid.
Donald Trump Recently Called Out President Joe Biden
Trump's latest remarks that there is a plan to get him off the ballot came as part of a campaign email he shared to celebrate Valentine's Day.
After the initial part, where he expressed his love for his wife, Melania, and appreciated her support through his legal battles, a different segment saw the billionaire mogul address his concerns on the conspiracy subject. He also criticized current President Joe Biden's handling of the country's affairs.
He wrote in all caps: "THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR PATRIOTS LIKE YOU! JOE BIDEN HAS DESTROYED AMERICA: OPEN BORDERS, SKYROCKETING CRIME AND RECORD-LEVEL INFLATION. NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO REMOVE ME FROM THE BALLOT, BUT I WILL NEVER SURRENDER. CAN I COUNT ON YOUR SUSTAINED SUPPORT?"
In the message, Trump also solicited funds from MAGA supporters, asking them to donate $20.24 "if you're supporting President Trump in 2024," $47 "if you think Donald J. Trump is the greatest president of all time," and options like $100, $250, $500, $1,000, and $3,300.
The Former President's New York Fraud Trial Approaches Its End
In the coming days, Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing Trump's New York fraud trial, is expected to rule on it.
It comes after the New York attorney general's office filed a lawsuit against the billionaire mogul for inflating the value of his assets on government financial statements.
If found guilty, Trump might be ordered to pay a fine of $370 million, as recommended by the prosecutors, and face a lifetime ban from the New York real estate industry.
Engoron had earlier ruled in a pre-trial decision that Trump's business license would be suspended pending the conclusion of the trial, a move that prompted the former U.S. president to call him out on social media.
Trump, who has refuted that he acted wrongly, filed an appeal against the earlier ruling and is expected to file another if the upcoming verdict does not swing in his favor.
