Former President Donald Trump is seizing the moment for maximum media coverage as he deals with two criminal cases this week that will determine the future of his campaign.
Trump lamented his inability to attend court in Washington, D.C., where the Supreme Court is deciding whether he has immunity from criminal charges alleging he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
“I think that the Supreme Court has a very important argument before it today. I would have loved to have been there, but this judge would not allow it,” Trump told reporters Thursday morning in New York while attacking Judge Juan Merchan.
“I should be there, but he wouldn’t allow it to happen. I think he puts himself above the Supreme Court, which is unfortunate, isn’t it?” Trump continued.
Trump is in the midst of defending himself against 34 felony indictments from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg alleges that Trump participated in hush money payment scheme to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
As the Supreme Court hears arguments over the immunity case, Trump will be in New York for the hush money case where former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker will testify. Merchan denied Trump’s request to travel to the nation’s capital.
Special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump last year over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but Trump is attempting to invalidate the case by arguing his immune from prosecution as a former chief executive of the nation.
Trump continued to argue the case that immunity is his right as a former president before entering court.
“But the argument on immunity is very important. A president has to have immunity,” Trump said. “This has nothing to do with me. This has to do with a president in the future for 100 years from now. If you don’t have immunity, you’re not going to do anything.”
“You’re going to become a ceremonial president. It’s just going to be doing nothing. You’re not going to take any of the risks, both good and bad,” he continued.
The New York case has curtailed Trump’s ability to hit the campaign stump as he is legally required to spend four out of five work days in court. Wednesday is the only exception Trump has to travel.
James D. Zirin, a former federal prosecutor in New York’s Southern District, argued that Trump could get back on the campaign trail if he moved to be excused and agreed “to stipulate to the documentary evidence.”
During his brief remarks to reporters, Trump also blamed President Joe Biden over weak GDP numbers.
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“The big news today, I think, is the 1.6%. When you look at 1.6 GDP, that’s a number that nobody thought was possible. That’s a real bad number,” Trump said. “And it looks like the projections are, it’s heading in the wrong direction. And that’s why the stock market’s down so big today.”
Economists expected GDP growth to increase by 2.5% during the first quarter. However, the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed the economy expanded at a 1.6% seasonally adjusted annual rate.
