Trump will juggle appearances in courtroom and on campaign trail as hush money trial begins
CTV
Former President Donald Trump’s appearance in a New York courthouse Monday for jury selection in his criminal hush money trial will kick off a weekslong juggling act between the courtroom and the campaign trail during a crucial period for his general election bid.
Former President Donald Trump’s appearance in a New York courthouse Monday for jury selection in his criminal hush money trial will kick off a weekslong juggling act between the courtroom and the campaign trail during a crucial period for his general election bid.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is required to be present in court the entire time – every weekday, except Wednesday – with the schedule set by the court. Trump’s team is working around the limitations to keep him interacting with voters and donors.
Since launching his third presidential bid in late 2022, the former president has rarely held campaign events for more than two days a week. However, with Trump’s days away from court limited to Wednesdays and weekends, his flexibility to travel for fundraising and campaigning at his own discretion will be severely curtailed, which he and his staff have lamented.
A preview of that balancing act begins this weekend. Trump is expected to travel to New York City following a campaign rally and donor event in Pennsylvania on Saturday in order to be prepared by members of his legal team on Sunday over court protocol and messaging, sources familiar with his plans told CNN.
Trump’s team believes news coverage of the trial will keep the former president in the spotlight, despite limited access to cameras in the federal courthouse and no video coverage of the trial itself. As he did during his earlier fraud trial, Trump will seek to ensure he remains front and center.
The former president is expected to speak to cameras on his way in and out of the courtroom and is also likely to deliver on-camera remarks at his Trump Tower residence after his court appearances. Trump advisers warn that these remarks will be determined by his whim on any given day, as are most things in the case of the former president. The location was chosen out of convenience, as Trump is expected to stay at Trump Tower during the trial.
“Every time the president is in court, all of the focus is on him and the message he’s driving,” a campaign official said.
