Former President Donald Trump and Mother Theresa, two names rarely mentioned in the same breath, found an unlikely connection in a surprising outburst by Trump. Addressing members of the press after Judge Juan Merchan gave the jury instructions in his Manhattan hush-money case, Trump blasted the trial as “rigged,” claiming even a saint like Mother Theresa couldn’t expect an acquittal.
Speaking fervently outside the courtroom, Trump expressed his frustration: “Mother Theresa could not beat these charges… this whole thing is rigged. The Judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe.”
Trump’s statement was like a comedic tragedy, meant to highlight the trial’s unfairness. By dragging Mother Theresa into the mix, he was basically saying, “Look, if even the saintliest of saints couldn’t dodge these charges, what chance do I have?” It was as if he was suggesting that not even a halo and a lifetime of good deeds could withstand this courtroom circus.
Trump’s complaints centered on his belief that the trial setup was inherently biased against him.
He also criticized the Judge by saying that the entire country is a “mess” with issues like border security and fraudulent elections. Then, you have a trial like this where the Judge is so biased that he can’t do his job properly. “It’s a disgrace.”
Adding to his grievances, Trump highlighted the timing of the case, noting that other prosecutors had declined to pursue it seven years prior. He accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of strategically timing the prosecution to coincide with the upcoming presidential election.
Despite Trump’s vehement claims of unfairness, at least one legal analyst offered a glimmer of hope for his defense. Randy Zelin, a defense attorney, told CNN anchor Kate Bolduan that the prosecution had fallen short of proving its case. “There is reasonable doubt all over this case,” Zelin asserted, suggesting that Trump’s legal team might still secure a favorable verdict.
Renowned lawyer Alan Dershowitz recently commented in the New York Post that in his six decades of legal experience, he had never witnessed a spectacle like the one he observed in Trump’s trial. Dershowitz described the Judge as a tyrant who, despite appearing to the jury as a benevolent despot, seemed to consistently rule against the defendant at every opportunity.
Judge Merchan’s final instructions to the jury have completely undermined any semblance of fairness in the trial. On Wednesday, according to Politico, Merchan ruled that jurors do not need to unanimously agree on the specific underlying crime that allegedly motivated the falsification of business records charges against Trump.
Fox News’ Harris Faulkner reported the breaking news, noting that Merchan stated there’s no need for jurors to agree on what occurred. Jurors can disagree on the specific crime among three options, meaning they could potentially split their votes and still be considered unanimous by the Judge.
Merchan dismissed arguments from Trump’s defense team that all 12 jurors should concur on the underlying crime Trump purportedly tried to conceal through the alleged falsified records, which constitutes a felony in New York.
In essence, the jury doesn’t even need to agree on why Trump allegedly falsified documents. Because, you know, who needs motive in a criminal trial anyway? Let’s just toss that pesky detail right out the window.
According to Fox News, the Judge told the jury that intent simply means a conscious or purposeful aim to defraud. And get this—it doesn’t even have to be aimed at any specific person or entity. Just a general intent to defraud anyone and everyone will do!
So, with Judge Merchan seemingly wielding a pitchfork in court, it looks like even Mother Theresa might want to phone in a favor from above. Between jurors not needing to agree on a motive and intent as broad as the sky is wide, we’re basically at the mercy of celestial intervention at this point.
