Trump Forgets His Own Lie By End of Rant — Says He’s Blowing Off Fraud Trial for Golf After Complaining ‘I Have to Be Here!’
Former President Donald Trump complained bitterly outside the courtroom where his fraud trial is being held because “I have to be here” instead of campaigning — but by the end of his rant, he had forgotten his falsehood and announced he’d be blowing off the trial for a golf tournament.
On Wednesday morning, Trump showed up for a second straight day for his trial in the fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron. Throughout the day, Trump took the occasional opportunity to rant to reporters about the case — and other things.
During one break, Trump bitterly complained, “Unfortunately, I have to be here, I’m not campaigning! I have to be here for this,” while claiming he’d scored a Perry Mason-style victory in court (he had not).
At the end of the day, Trump took one more pass before the cameras to complain that he was being forced off the campaign trail by the trial, but by the end of the 6-minute rant, he seemed to forget he’d been complaining all day about being trapped in a proceeding for which his appearance was 100 percent voluntary by announcing he’d be skipping court the next day — and not to campaign:
DONALD TRUMP: She convinced him that it was worth $18 million. And everybody throughout the world is laughing at it. It’s so ridiculous.
But this is what we go through because they want to keep me here instead of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and lots of other great places. They want me to be here. It’s a disgrace what’s happening! It’s a rigged trial! The whole thing is rigged! This should be in the commercial division where the judges understand it.
(speaks for several more minutes)
…Thank you very much.
REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President. Will you be back tomorrow by any chance?
DONALD TRUMP: Tomorrow night, as you probably know, probably will have a very big tournament, professional golf tournament–.
REPORTER: Yes sir.
DONALD TRUMP: At Doral.
Watch above via Reuters.
