Donald Trump Laments 'Very Unfair' Hush Money Trial: 'I Should Be In Georgia Right Now'

Donald Trump reportedly had a meltdown outside the courtroom after the fifth day of his hush money trial, claiming innocence.

The trial, marking the first for a former president, centers on alleged falsification of business records to hide payments to former adult entertainer Stormy Daniels.

After the fifth day of his hush money trial in New York, former president Trump reportedly voiced his discontent outside the courtroom, vehemently asserting his innocence regarding the charges against him.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the proceedings, Trump lamented the perceived unfairness of being tied up in court rather than actively campaigning for the 2024 presidential election.

"I should be in Georgia right now. I should be in Florida right now. I should be in a lot of places campaigning right now," he said outside the courtroom. "Instead, I'm sitting here and this trial will go on for a very long time."

"It's very unfair," he added. "People in the court just said to me: I can't believe it."

Amid his lamentation, Trump reiterated his accusations against President Joe Biden, attributing the legal proceedings to a purported "Biden witch hunt" aimed at sidelining him from the campaign trail.

Trump, however, asserted that the trial has actually bolstered his poll numbers.

"This is a Biden witch hunt to keep me off the campaign trail," Trump declared, per Radar Online. "So far, it's not working because my poll numbers are higher than they've ever been."

Despite the imposed gag order by Judge Juan Merchan to prevent Trump from disparaging witnesses, the ex-president unleashed a tirade against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his former attorney-turned-key witness, Michael Cohen.

Trump defiantly disregarded the order during his impassioned speech outside the courtroom, criticizing the characterization of payments in the case.

He vehemently argued that labeling a payment to a lawyer as a legal expense was justified, stating: "They called a payment to a lawyer a legal expense in the books. They didn't call it construction. They didn't say you're building a building."

He continued: "It was called a payment to a lawyer because, as you know, Cohen is a lawyer. He represented a lot of people over the years. I'm not the only one."

Trump further disparaged Cohen's legal prowess, adding: "And he wasn't very good in a lot of ways in terms of his representation, but he represented a lot of people."

Trump is on trial for alleged falsification of New York business records to conceal hush money payments made to two women ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The trial commenced with jury selection on April 15, marking Trump as the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges in court.

Opening statements resumed on Monday morning, April 22, with the prosecution accusing Trump of "orchestrating a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election" by concealing an alleged affair with former adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The case, brought forth by Manhattan District Attorney Bragg, centers on a $130,000 payment made by Trump's former lawyer, Cohen, to Daniels.

Bragg contended that Trump misrepresented the payment as lawful legal expenses in business records. In response, the defense argued that "there's nothing wrong" with attempting to influence an election, adding that it is "called democracy."

During opening statements, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo also asserted that Trump, Cohen, and a mutual acquaintance, David Pecker, devised a plan to suppress damaging information about Trump by leveraging media outlets like the National Enquirer to publish negative stories about his opponents.

Following opening statements from both sides, the trial briefly featured testimony from its inaugural witness, Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer and a central figure in Trump's alleged offenses.

Pecker, who was reportedly given immunity in exchange for his testimony, talked about the process of publishing stories at NE, noting that he had the "final say" on big celebrity stories. He also revealed that they made use of "checkbook journalism," paying as high as $10,000 to investigate and publish a story.

Pecker's testimony provided crucial insights into the case before proceedings were adjourned for the day.

The jury, consisting of seven men and five women residing in Manhattan, will deliberate on whether Trump's purported actions to conceal an affair with Daniels, out of concern for its impact on his presidential aspirations, constituted criminal behavior.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, charges brought against him in the spring of 2023.