Trump uses video from arraignment in campaign ad, says only crime is ‘defending nation’
Cami Mondeaux
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Former President Donald Trump released a new advertisement showcasing footage from his arraignment at a Manhattan court on Tuesday, seeking to use the high-profile indictment in his own favor as part of efforts to stave off criminal charges and boost his 2024 campaign.
In a 56-second ad released on Thursday, the Manhattan court building where Trump was arraigned earlier this week is shown as a backdrop while several conservative commentators speak over the video to denounce the criminal charges. Trump is then seen walking through the crowd to enter the courthouse as the former president maintains his innocence in the ad’s voice-over.
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“The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it,” he says in the ad. “And now, these radical Left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement.”
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1644107572612399110
The ad also shows images from a campaign rally held at Mar-a-Lago later that evening when Trump addressed supporters hours after his indictment was unsealed. The video is Trump’s latest effort to capitalize on the criminal charges, with his campaign team repeatedly using the indictment as fodder in fundraising emails.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan announced the felony charges during Trump’s initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon, charging the president on 34 counts with falsifying business records. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history a former president has been criminally charged. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.
The indictment was unsealed shortly after Trump’s arraignment proceedings concluded on Tuesday, which detailed the 34 felony counts levied against the former president. The court records claim Trump, on multiple occasions, made false business entries “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime.”
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In the court documents, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Trump of orchestrating a “catch and kill” scheme during the 2016 presidential cycle to identify negative stories about him and pay large sums of money to bury them from public view. After making such payments, Trump is accused of hiding such conduct by making “dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.”
Trump has vehemently denied the charges, decrying them as being baseless and politically motivated. Trump is scheduled to reappear for his next hearing on Dec. 4. The trial is not expected to begin until January.