The former president has found many ways to spin historic proceedings to his unexpected advantage, as he braces for a verdict that could come this week.
On a brisk Monday morning in early May, journalists from around the world gathered in a shabby Manhattan courtroom to find out whether Donald Trump would be sent to jail.
For Justice Juan Merchan, the choice was stark: either impose a paltry four-figure fine for what prosecutors alleged were repeated violations of a gag order, or order the incarceration of the man who was once president, and could be again in a few months’ time.
