Donald J. Trump was the first American president to face criminal prosecution, spending most of the past week in a Manhattan courtroom. He is accused of falsifying business records to hide an affair with a porn actress before the 2016 election.
Although he did not testify during opening statements, he used the media to present his case each day of the trial.
Fact-checking his statements:
What Was Said
“He puts in an invoice, or whatever, a bill. And they pay it and they call it a legal expense. I got indicted for that. What else would you call it? Actually nobody’s been able to say what you’re supposed to call it.”
— in remarks after the trial on Monday
False. The case revolves around 11 monthly invoices that prosecutors claim were used to cover up the payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, on Trump’s behalf. Prosecutors argue that these invoices were meant to falsify business records.
According to prosecutors, the payment to Daniels was an illegal campaign contribution, and the subsequent invoices were part of a scheme to hide the true nature of the payment.
Fact-checking another statement:
“Also the things that he got in trouble for were things that had nothing to do with me. He got in trouble. He went to jail. This had nothing to do with me. This had to do with the taxi cab company.”
— in remarks after the trial on Monday
False. Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including campaign finance violations related to hush money payments made at Trump’s direction. These payments were not related to Cohen’s taxi cab business, as Trump suggested.
What was Said
“Federal Elections took a total pass on it. They said essentially nothing was done wrong or they would have done something about it.”
— in remarks after the trial on Monday
False. The Federal Election Commission did not absolve Trump of wrongdoing in the hush money case. While the case was dropped due to a deadlock vote, an internal report from the commission stated that Trump and others involved had violated federal election law.
Additionally:
Fact-checking another statement:
“I’m not allowed to defend myself, and yet other people are allowed to say whatever they want about me.”
— in remarks after the trial on Tuesday
This is exaggerated. While a gag order was imposed on Trump by the judge, it does not prevent him from defending himself. The order restricts him from making specific statements about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and jurors that could interfere with the case.
Furthermore:
Fact-checking another statement:
“Alvin Bragg is backed by Soros.”
— in an interview with Newsmax on Thursday
This needs context. While there is a financial link between Soros and Bragg, it was not a direct contribution to Bragg’s campaign. Soros supported a liberal group that endorsed progressive prosecutors, some of which supported Bragg’s campaign.
What was Said
“Look at all the crime we have. And yet they have a big portion of their office sitting there over absolutely nothing.”
— in the Newsmax interview
This is exaggerated. Trump’s claim that a significant portion of the district attorney’s office is focused solely on his case is not accurate. The office has hundreds of staff members, and only a small team is working on the hush money case.
What was Said
“This is all a Biden indictment. It’s in order to try and win an election.”
— in remarks after the trial on Friday
This lacks evidence. Accusing Biden of orchestrating the legal troubles is baseless. The investigation into the hush money payments began before Biden took office, and there is no indication that Biden influenced the case.
