Donald Trump, the former President and current leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, made a series of unsubstantiated claims to reporters on Thursday, both before and after attending a Manhattan court hearing related to the hush money criminal case against him. This article fact-checks some of Trump’s remarks.
Trump’s Court Attendance and Campaign Schedule
Trump asserted that the hush money case against him constitutes “election interference,” and that it is hindering his ability to campaign in South Carolina ahead of the February 24 Republican presidential primary. He lamented being in a Manhattan courthouse instead of campaigning in South Carolina.
Facts First: Trump was not obligated to be in the New York courthouse on Thursday. Judge Juan Merchan had waived his pretrial appearances in the hush money case. Trump voluntarily chose to attend the hearing, despite having the option to attend a related hearing in Georgia. Furthermore, Trump was not scheduled to be in South Carolina on Thursday; his next campaign appearance in the state is next week. His next rally after the Thursday hearing is a Saturday event in Michigan. Trump was not planning to fly to South Carolina after the New York hearing. He was planning to fly back to Florida, where he resides.
Biden and the Hush Money Case
Trump alleged that President Joe Biden’s White House is orchestrating the hush money case brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He claimed that Biden’s top person, Matthew Colangelo, was placed in the DA’s office to ensure successful election interference.
Facts First: There is no evidence to support Trump’s claims. There is no proof that Biden’s White House is involved in the Manhattan district attorney’s case. There is also no evidence that the Biden administration influenced Colangelo’s decision to join the district attorney’s office in 2022 as senior counsel to Bragg. Colangelo and Bragg have a prior professional relationship, having worked together in the office of New York’s state attorney general.
Violent Crime in New York
Trump criticized the hush money case against him, claiming it is not a crime, and asserted that violent crime is at an all-time high in New York.
Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Violent crime is significantly lower than record highs in both Manhattan and New York City. Crime rates have drastically declined since the early 1990s. New York City publishes crime statistics on its website, which clearly show the decline. For instance, Manhattan recorded 73 murders in 2023, a decrease of about 85% from the 503 recorded in 1990. Similarly, Manhattan recorded 252 rapes in 2023, down about 63% from the 689 in 1990, and 3,841 robberies in 2023, down about 86% from the 26,907 in 1990. The declines are similarly large for New York City as a whole.