In his first two battleground rallies after being fined for violating a gag order, former President Donald Trump bemoaned the restrictions and financial consequences he faces from several legal cases.
Trump singled out and criticized New York Judge Juan Merchan, Judge Arthur Engoron, and the writer E. Jean Carroll during a rally in Michigan‘s critical key swing state. He also blasted the 88 federal indictments that have been brought against him during a rally in Wisconsin.
“Every time the radical-left Democrats, Marxists, communists, and fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of honor,” Trump said. “Because I’m being indicted for you.”
Trump is currently battling against 34 charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over allegations he participated in a hush money payment scheme during the 2016 election. The case required Trump to appear in court on four out of the five weekdays, with Wednesday being the sole exception.
“I have come here today from New York City where I’m being forced to sit for days on end in a kangaroo courtroom with a corrupt and conflicted judge enduring a Biden sideshow trial,” Trump said at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, on Wednesday. “At the hands of a Marxist district attorney, Soros-backed, who’s taking orders from the Biden administration.”
“The judge, by the way, is the most conflicted person in history. I don’t think there’s ever been a more conflicted judge, crooked and conflicted. I’m unconstitutionally gagged,” Trump continued in his complaints. “He gagged me. So I’m not even supposed to be, I would say, talking to you because he gagged me.”
Merchan imposed a $9,000 fine on Trump on Tuesday for violating a gag order multiple times and warned Trump could be jailed if he continued to violate the order. Trump was also ordered to delete social media posts that violated the gag order.
The gag order prohibits Trump from attacking attorneys, court staff members, or the family members of prosecutors, lawyers, judges, and Bragg.
“What you’re witnessing in New York is not a legal proceeding. It’s an unlawful exercise in very stupid and very evil politics,” Trump said. “But here’s the good news: It’s driven the poll numbers higher than we’ve ever had before. Because people get it, it’s a scam. And they get it.”
Trump succinctly called all of the legal cases he’s battling against an expletive. “Every one of these fake cases is bulls***,” he said to applause. “Every single one of them.”
An Emerson College Polling-the Hill poll of swing states released on Tuesday showed Trump leading President Joe Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In Michigan, Trump leads Biden 45% to 44%. In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 47% said they supported Trump, while 45% said the same for Biden.
The former president also took time to slam Engoron, who oversaw the civil fraud case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against Trump.
Engoron approved a $175 million bond from Trump, who is fighting Engoron’s ruling that Trump pay $454 million in fines and interest for committing business fraud.
“I had another judge, Judge Engoron. He takes assets that are worth billions and billions of dollars, and he says, ‘Oh, they’re worth just a little bit like $18 million’,” Trump said. “He takes an asset that’s worth a billion, billion and a half dollars. He says it’s worth 18 because that’s his narrative.”
Trump also mentioned but was careful not to publicly name Carroll, the writer who successfully sued Trump for sexual assault and defamation. She was awarded $83 million. A Trump attempt to appeal the decision was denied in late April.
“And then we have another one in New York who gave someone $91 million because they said I defamed her,” Trump said. “Because I said her story isn’t true. I defamed her, $91 million.”
“So anyway, hopefully, the appeal process works because if it doesn’t, you just don’t have a country,” Trump said. “$91 million because I defamed her. Unbelievable, and I didn’t defame anybody.”
During the Wisconsin rally, Trump excoriated Biden over the economy, claimed he was the best presidential candidate to help the middle class, and championed the New York Police Department for clearing away protesting Columbia University students.
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania mark the three “blue wall” states crucial to victory for Biden or Trump in 2024. Trump won all three states during the 2016 presidential election, but four years later, Biden flipped all three states.
If Trump can flip the states again in November, it could effectively deny Biden a second White House term.