After the court session ended, Trump went to a microphone outside the courthouse and essentially sealed his own fate.
Trump stated while attempting to clarify his payments to Michael Cohen:
He mentioned that nobody, including Alvin Bragg, wanted to bring this case, but it was decided at the last minute. He emphasized that the case goes back several years and involves a minor bookkeeping issue, contrasting it with violent crimes happening outside.
He explained that the payment to the lawyer was labeled as a legal expense in the books and highlighted that it wasn't even claimed as a tax deduction, indicating that it's a common practice.
He argued that the payment was not categorized as construction, but rather as a legal expense because Cohen is a lawyer who has represented many people over the years. He expressed frustration at being indicted for this practice.
Video:
This is a disaster. Trump is now claiming that he is innocent because he didn’t take a tax deduction on paying back Michael Cohen for the Stormy Daniels hush money, “Another thing that wasn’t even said was we never even deducted it as a tax deduction.” pic.twitter.com/NHegVHWhLs
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 22, 2024
In this situation, the 'they' Trump refers to is himself, as he directed the labeling of the expense.
Trump asserts that he didn't commit a crime because there was no space in the books for anything other than legal expenses. He has a delusional belief that using a lawyer for anything makes it legal.
Trump acknowledged paying Michael Cohen and argued, in his mind, that using a lawyer to commit a crime is considered a legal expense and is not prosecutable.
It's unwise for Donald Trump to speak during this trial as his attempts to politically manipulate the situation may lead to his conviction.
Based on Michael Cohen's previous testimony, it's clear that Trump's intention was to conceal the story. The hush money payment was an illegal campaign contribution aimed at hiding damaging information from voters.
Trump is unable to justify this aspect of the case, so he is focused on arguing that his alleged criminal conspiracy wasn't actually a crime, which may inadvertently provide more evidence for prosecutors to convict him.
