Former President Donald Trump touted his social media platform Truth Social, which is set to inject a stream of income for the former president as he battles multiple court cases.
“Truth Social is doing very well. It’s hot as a pistol and doing great and it’s going public, and the New York Stock Exchange wants to have us badly,” Trump said during a Monday afternoon press conference.
“And I told them, we can’t do the New York Stock Exchange, you’re treated too badly in New York. We don’t want to do the New York Stock Exchange,” Trump continued about the effects his legal problems are having on his former state of residence. “And the people at the stock exchange are very, very upset about it. The top person is mortified. Can’t believe it. He said, ‘I’m losing business because of New York because people don’t want to be in New York and they don’t want to go to the New York Stock Exchange.’”
“So, we’ll decide about Truth Social and what we do with it, but there’s just an example of how this is hurting New York and New York State,” the former president said.
Shareholders approved a merger deal between Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, and Digital World Acquisition on Friday. The group will trade publicly on the Nasdaq stock market under the stock symbol “DJT” on Tuesday.
Trump won’t be able to convert shares from Truth Social as it goes public due to a “lock-up agreement” that blocks the former president from selling shares for six months. Trump is estimated to make a little over $3 billion once Truth Social is traded publicly on the stock market.
Earlier Monday, a New York appeals court reduced Trump’s $464 million bond to $175 million and granted a 10-day delay for him to pay the bond, a huge victory for the former president.
Without the reduced bond, New York Attorney General Letitia James could have begun seizing his assets, including Trump Tower.
“I would also like to be able to use some of my cash to get elected. They don’t want me to use my cash to get elected,” Trump claimed. “They don’t want that. They’re already taking cash out to use it for the campaign.”
Trump took a moment to express gratitude for the reduced payment but slammed the judge who presided over the case.
“I respect the appellate division for substantially reducing that ridiculous amount of money that was put on by a corrupt judge named Engordon,” Trump said, aiming at New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron. “He ought to be looked at, seriously looked at, especially when he did valuation.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump also lambasted a separate New York judge who ruled in District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s favor and set the hush money payment trial for Trump on April 15 as “election interference” and denied any wrongdoing.
“It’s a shame what’s happening to our country. This is election interference. They are doing things that have never been done in this country before,” Trump said.
Kaelan Deese and Ashley Oliver contributed to this story.