© AP/The Telegraph.com/Getty Images/KJNNew York Attorney Letitia James • Former US President Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that his "legal issues" have been "set up" by President Biden and the Democrats, declaring that it is "their new form of cheating" in the election.
Trump held a press conference at his Manhattan property at 40 Wall St. on Thursday after closing arguments were delivered in the non-jury civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against him.
James sued Trump, his family and his business empire, claiming he inflated his financial statements and deceived banks. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. The former president has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers, requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks.
Trump has been in court twice this week — once in a federal Appeals Court in Washington, D.C., as he argues presidential immunity from charges in Special Counsel Jack Smith's Jan. 6 case; and again Thursday for James' case in New York.
The court appearances came just days ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary contests in Iowa — the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucuses.
"My legal issues, every one of them, every one — civil and criminal ones — are all set up by Joe Biden. Crooked Joe Biden," he said. "This is something that's never happened in this country, even when you look at this, this is all about Biden."
"This should never have happened," Trump said of the New York trial. "But again, this is sponsored by the Democrats."
Trump pointed to charges against him in Special Counsel Smith's classified records case, to which he pleaded not guilty. Biden is currently under special counsel investigation for the same thing, allegedly improperly retaining classified records.
"I just hear where they want to try and exonerate Biden, and he didn't have the Presidential Records Act. And I do. I did nothing wrong," Trump said. "You can't have two tiers of justice in this country."
© AP Photo / Andrew HarnikPresident Joe Biden
"They're doing it for election interference, and, in a way, I guess you'd consider it part of the campaign, because if you really look at it, they are doing this, and it's never been done like this in this country. It's like we are a Third World country — a banana republic," Trump said.
But Trump continued on, touting his poll numbers, in which he leads Biden in a head-to-head match-up.
He added that regardless of the presidential primary calendar and his campaign schedule, "I want to go to all of my trials."
"These are all set up by Biden and the Democrats," Trump said. "This is their new form of cheating. This is like last time. This is their new form of cheating."
He added: "So far, I think it's gone very much against them."
© Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesJack Smith, US special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
That has been put on pause due to a review by the Appeals Court and possibly the Supreme Court on Trump's argument of presidential immunity.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
That trial is set to begin in New York City on March 25. However, Bragg said he would be flexible on that date, pending the decision on trial timing in Smith's Jan. 6 case.
If it does begin on March 25, court proceedings will take place just after the Louisiana primary and ahead of April 2 — when Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin voters hit the polls to select a GOP nominee.
Then, Smith's classified documents trial is set to begin on May 20, ahead of the Kentucky primary on May 21, the Oregon primary on May 25 and New Jersey's primary on June 4.
Should Trump solidify his lead in the GOP nomination, he would spend July 15-18 at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee.
However, just weeks later, Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed her trial begin.
© Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesGeorgia's Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis: drunk on power?
Trump's comments Thursday come after he defied New York Judge Arthur Engoron and delivered his own closing argument in court.
Trump said his financial statements were "perfect," and stressed that the bank loans were repaid and are "as happy as can be."
© AP Photo/Stefan JeremiahFormer President Donald Trump leaves 40 Wall St. in downtown Manhattan, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in New York.
"When you say don't go outside of these things, I'm an innocent man, persecuted," Trump said to Engoron while blasting the case as "election interference" and saying if he is "not allowed to talk about it, it's a disservice."
Engoron told Trump to wrap up his remarks within one minute, but Trump fired back, saying, "You can't listen for more than one minute?"
"Mr. Kise, please control your client," Engoron said to Trump's attorney.
However, the former president went on to say, "I did nothing wrong, they should pay me for what I've been put through."
Trump defended his business empire and said he was sued to get publicity.
© Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesJustice Arthur Engoron presides over former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial on Nov. 3 in New York City.
"She's a political hack. The attorney general, the judge is obviously extremely friendly with the group," Trump said. "And we'll see what happens."
Trump said there is a chance "they surprise people on a positive side, we'll have to see what happens exactly."
"But we've proven this case so conclusively and we've asked for directed verdict many times," Trump said. "They don't have any facts. They don't have any evidence against us."
If the really wanted him to fail, they should simply ignore him. Instead they do the opposite.
Thus, even if he doesn't get re-elected, even if he has an "accident", he will be martyred.
The result would then likely be chaos. civil war.
Maybe that's the plan after all then.
Maybe that's what's with the movie theme this season,
In order to create one must first destroy.
Is that the plan?
Or am I giving them too much credit for Machiavellian thinking?