Ahead of Stormy Daniels hush-money trial in Manhattan, former President Donald Trump vowed to defend himself, saying that he will testify on Monday and speak out the truth.
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Trump said: “I’m testifying. I tell the truth. All I can do is tell the truth.”
“And the truth is that there’s no case. They have no case,” he claimed.
Calling the trial an illegitimate “witch hunt”, Trump said that it is a “scam and an election interference by the Biden administration”.
The trial is historically significant since this is the first time a former US president has been put on trial for a crime.
All you need to know about hush money trial
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, has accused Trump of 34 felonies of fabricating business documents in order to conceal a single payment made to former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, reportedly paid the $130,000 payment to keep Daniels silent about her allegation that she had an affair with Trump.
The ex-US President has entered a not guilty plea and disputes having a relationship with Daniels.
Trump could spend up to 136 years in jail or pay $170,000 in fines if he is found guilty of all 34 felony counts in the case.
The GOP leader is also on the verge of breaking the gag order imposed on him by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. According the order, Trump is barred from speak about a number of witnesses, court workers, and prosecutors.
rump says ‘just found’ evidence in hush money case
On Wednesday, Trump posted a letter on Truth Social that was allegedly signed by the ex-porn star in 2018.
Daniels stated in the letter that she never had a sexual relationship with Trump. It read, “I am not denying this affair because I was paid ‘hush money’ as has been reported in overseas owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
Daniels recently claimed that she was coerced into signing the letter, which is partially the reason she came forward to criticise Trump.
The ex-porn star said she rejected the reports of having any sexual relationship with Trump “due to a non-disclosure agreement and that she signed the statement because parties involved ‘made it sound like I had no choice,” AP reported last month.
