Jimmy Kimmel criticized Donald Trump on Tuesday for falsely claiming that there was a crowd outside the Manhattan courthouse where his hush money trial is being held.
Former President Donald Trump, who is 77 years old, is currently facing a trial in New York. He is accused of committing 34 felony counts by falsifying business records. These alleged actions were supposedly done in an attempt to conceal hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
It is claimed that the actor supposedly gave $130,000 to Ms Daniels in October 2016, as part of an agreement to keep quiet about an alleged affair they had in 2006.
In the face of allegations and legal charges, Mr. Trump maintains his denial of any affair and pleads not guilty to all accusations. He asserts that these charges are driven by political motivations, aimed at undermining his potential victory in the 2024 election.
During his presidential campaign, the ex-president has urged his followers to gather outside the courthouse where the trial is being held.
“Take to the streets and peacefully protest. Stand united behind MAGA and let’s save our country,” he urged on Truth Social on Monday.
According to The New York Times, despite his pleas, the streets surrounding the courthouse were mostly empty of Trump supporters on Monday morning.
Jimmy Kimmel noticed the absence of any visible support for the former president, who is currently facing three other criminal cases.
According to him, Donald Trump’s popularity appears to be waning.
Late-night host added, “He cannot deal with the fact that he seems to be losing popularity each day. Donald Trump may talk a lot, but it appears that his supporters are dwindling.” The segment then cut to a clip showing deserted streets outside the courthouse.
Mr. Kimmel commented on the lack of attendance at an event, stating, “As you can see, no one showed up. Iโm not sure if theyโre saving their energy for one of his next criminal trials,” referring to Mr. Trump’s supporters.
In a scathing response, the ABC host criticized Mr. Trump for dishonestly exaggerating the size of the crowds in a post on Truth Social.
He pointed out that despite the absence of a crowd, Donald Trump managed to deceive people about its size. He shared a post from Mr. Trump’s Truth Social platform, in which the former president falsely claimed that “thousands of people were turned away from the Courthouse in Lower Manhattan by steel stanchions and police.”
“It’s like a fortress meant to deter people,” he remarked, while strongly criticizing a report by Maggie Haberman from The New York Times that falsely stated he was “disappointed” with the crowds gathered outside the court on Monday.
In a tweet, President Trump criticized The New York Times reporter, Maggie Haberman, for falsely claiming that he was disappointed with the crowds. He clarified that he was actually disappointed with Maggie’s lack of writing skill. Furthermore, he expressed his concern that some police officers were not being deployed to Columbia and NYU to ensure the safety of the students amidst pro-Palestinian protests, which resulted in over 100 arrests in the past week.
According to Mr. Trump, the criminal charges against him are politically motivated and an example of “election interference.”
According to the writer, the case is being referred to as a scam by legal scholars, although no evidence is provided to support this claim. The writer personally views it as election interference and a targeted attack by a biased and corrupt judge who is unfit to preside over this politically motivated deception.
“New York Justice is going up in flames, with the world watching in anticipation. It is our hope that the Appellate Courts can come to the rescue and preserve the integrity of the justice system, as well as prevent more companies from seeking refuge in other jurisdictions. New York can no longer afford to take risks with its reputation for delivering fair and reliable justice.”
Mr. Trump has made multiple attempts to delay the proceedings by asserting that Judge Merchan, who is handling his case, should remove himself from the trial due to alleged conflicts of interest and signs of bias that would compromise his ability to be impartial.
He previously argued for the removal of the judge from the case, citing his daughter’s role as a consultant for the Democrats.
At the beginning of the hearing on Monday, Judge Merchan promptly addressed the two complaints, reaffirming his decision not to recuse himself.
The defence team’s request, according to him, was built upon “a series of hints, innuendo, and unsupported speculation.”