Donald Trump’s legal battles seem to be endless. Every week brings new developments and the former president just isn’t able to stop making headlines.
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On 14 September 2023, Donald Trump sat down for a televised interview which has now gone viral. Among the many topics addressed in this Meet The Press special, one of them seems to have hurt Trump’s defence about his meddling of the 2020 election.
Now, a few days after this interview, a legal expert close to Donald Trump gives him another warning about how to proceed. This isn’t the first but will Trump listen?
Donald Trump’s defence crumbles
On 14 September, Donald Trump gave an interview to NBC as the most likely Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election. During the interview, which many have said was a masterclass from journalist Kristen Welker, Trump admitted to something that may jeopardise the March 2024 trial.
When Welker asked former President Trump about his decision to overturn the 2020 election he said:
It was my decision.
President Trump then continues to explain how he went against his legal advice at the time and chose to ignore White House personnel and attorneys who told him that there was no proof of election fraud because he ‘didn't respect them as lawyers.’
His public and broadcasted admission of responsibility in the overturn of the 2020 election challenged his whole defence since it relies on one thing: Trump says that he followed his lawyers' advice. Now he has admitted he didn’t.
Read more:
⋙ Donald Trump loses popular support as his former lawyer gives him stark warning
⋙ Donald Trump believes he can prevent World War III: 'I’m the only candidate to make that promise'
Trump receives a warning after ignoring many
The fact that Donald Trump has made this statement during a TV interview is even more damning because during the hearing with Judge Chutkan in which she set the trial date for March 2024, she and the prosecution warned him that his online and public statements were going to be under close scrutiny.
At the time the judge said that she would be :
watching carefully for anything that might affect that jury pool or poison that jury pool
Giving this interview to NBCgoes directly against the judge’s advice and Newsweek reports that, in Michael McAuliffe’s view, this interview was a mistake for one clear reason.
This time may be different because his statements will be used in the confines of a courtroom before a jury
The former federal prosecutor and elected state attorney in Florida continues:
That jury will be instructed on how to evaluate Trump's statements within the law and the case, not in general and politically.
After the Meet The Press interview, another person has come forward to give the former president some advice. This time it’s George Conway, ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway who was a senior advisor to Trump while he was in office.
George Conway is very clear, Trump cannot in good reason take the stand and expect it to go well. He states:
Trump will be destroyed on the stand in about 30 seconds by any decent cross-examiner on almost any subject
A courtroom is not a TV interview and Conway warns that Trump will not be able to manoeuvre his way out of answering:
You cannot pull the stuff that you can pull at a town hall or even in a one-on-one interview with a good interviewer. You can’t just fulminate on some other subject, you actually have to answer questions and get pinned down
Will Trump listen?
Read more:
⋙ Donald Trump and his team challenge fairness of Judge Tanya Chutkan in Capital riots case
⋙ Donald Trump cashing in on his arrest: This is how his mugshot could make him even richer
Sources:
HuffPost: US Lawyer Says Donald Trump Will Be 'Destroyed On The Stand' If He Does This
Newsweek: Donald Trump Just Destroyed His Own Defense
NBC News: Here are 11 top moments from Trump's 'Meet the Press' interview
CNN: Retired judge explains the 'stunningly stupid' moment from Trump's team
CNN: Takeaways from a busy and significant day in the Donald Trump criminal cases
