Donald J. Trump’s first presidential campaign took place almost ten years ago. As he embarks on another campaign in a political landscape shaped by his influence, his Manhattan criminal trial serves as a reflection on his tactics during his initial run for office. The trial focuses on allegations that Mr. Trump orchestrated a scheme to interfere in the election by concealing damaging stories that could have negatively impacted his campaign, such as sex scandals involving a porn star and a Playboy model.
Prosecutors have been granted permission to introduce evidence related to Mr. Trump’s political strategy in 2016, which includes his use of aggressive tweets, false denials, and collaboration with a tabloid publisher. This demonstrates how the same tactics that worked in his favor during the campaign are now being used against him in the courtroom.
The strategies highlighted by prosecutors are not unique to Mr. Trump’s campaign but are consistent with his behavior as a businessman and reality television personality. His relationship with The National Enquirer tabloid and its publisher, David Pecker, is a key focus of the trial. The Manhattan district attorney’s office alleges that Mr. Trump, Mr. Pecker, and Mr. Trump’s former fixer, Michael D. Cohen, conspired to influence the 2016 election.
Evidence related to a meeting in 2015 between the three men laid the groundwork for hush-money deals with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, as well as generating negative headlines about Mr. Trump’s political opponents. Despite objections from Mr. Trump’s lawyer, the judge ruled in favor of admitting this evidence.
The trial proceedings continue to shed light on Mr. Trump’s delegation of controversial tasks to others, maintaining a level of separation from the actions. The hush-money payments made by Mr. Cohen and The National Enquirer exemplify this pattern, with Mr. Trump facing charges related to falsifying business records in connection to the reimbursements.
Despite restrictions preventing Mr. Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, or the judge’s family, he continues to navigate the trial with strategic maneuvers. For instance, he recently shared a video on social media featuring a political ally insinuating potential biases within the judge’s family, a move that could have violated the judge’s orders if made directly by Mr. Trump.
