Trump will not testify in criminal trial, deletes promotional video using ‘Reich’
Donald Trump reposted then deleted a ‘Hitler-inspired’ video, as it was announced the ex-president will not testify at his “hush money” criminal trial.
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Former US President Donald Trump was forced to delete a video from his Truth Social account that triggered outrage by using a headline referencing a “unified Reich.”
The 30-second video projected what could happen if Mr Trump, 77, wins the November 5 election over current President Joe Biden.
“Strength significantly increased by the creation of a unified Reich” could be seen at least twice in the clip as a slogan. The post remained online up for almost 15 hours before its removal.
Donald Trump now openly advocating for “the creation of a unified Reich†in mock newspaper featured in campaign ad. pic.twitter.com/IsVg56qVvV
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) May 21, 2024
“This was not a campaign video,” Trump 2024 spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told the New York Post. “It was created by a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word, while the President was in court.”
‘Reich’ is a German word meaning “kingdom” or “realm,” often associated with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, which he dubbed the “Third Reich.”
Mr Biden’s election campaign accused Mr Trump of echoing anti-Semitic ideas, while the White House said any content that promoted Nazi Germany was “sickening”.
Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters: “It is abhorrent, sickening and disgraceful for anyone to promote content associated with Germany’s Nazi government under Adolf Hitler”.
It comes as Donald Trump’s lawyers rested their case without the former president following through on a vow to testify.
After four weeks both the prosecution and defense have rested their cases.
Judge Juan Merchan told the jury to return next Tuesday since there wouldn’t be enough time this week with scheduling conflicts to hear closing arguments and begin deliberations.
‘CLEAR THE COURTROOM’: CHAOS BREAKS OUT AT TRUMP TRIAL
It comes as Mr Trump’s New York criminal trial descended into chaos when the judge became infuriated by a defence witness’s behaviour and pandemonium broke out between journalists and court officers.
Lawyer Robert Costello, called up to testify by Mr Trump’s team, exasperated Judge Juan Merchan by constantly griping at his rulings.
Each time Judge Merchan upheld a challenge from prosecutors to his statements on the stand, Mr Costello would shake his head or sigh theatrically.
When Mr Costello responded to another objection being upheld with an audible “Jeez!”, Judge Merchan snapped.
“Sorry?” the judge said, repeating more loudly: “Sorry?”
Judge Merchan launched into a lecture on “proper decorum,” saying that “if you don’t like my ruling you don’t say ‘jeez,’ you don’t say ‘stricken’. I am the only one who says that.”
Yet Mr Costello, unbowed, looked right back — and now the judge had had enough.
“Are you staring me down?” Judge Merchan said, incredulously. “Clear the courtroom!”
After the hearing ended for the day, Mr Trump described Judge Merchan as a “tyrant” outside court, saying had “never seen anything like it”.
He said he hoped the motion to dismiss the case goes through.
BIKIES BACK TRUMP IN COURT
Earlier, an entourage of about a dozen Trump supporters attended the hearing, including the former president of a notorious motorcycle gang in New York City who spent years in prison on drug charges.
Chuck Zito, who was a founder of the New York Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels, which was described by the US Justice Department as a criminal enterprise with connections to the Gambino crime family was there.
Mr Trump addressed a rally of bikers in Washington in 2016 while on the campaign trail saying, “Do we love the bikers? Yes. We love the bikers”.
After Mr Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, a group calling themselves Bikers for Trump helped organise ‘Stop the Steal’ rallies, referring to the allegation that the Democrat’s election victory was stolen.
Mr Zito served a prison term from 1985 to 1991 on drug conspiracy charges. He moved into film stunt work and acting, appearing in the prison drama, Oz.
Mr Zito was joined on Monday by several Trump allies with alleged criminal connections including Boris Epshteyn, a Trump adviser arrested for groping complaints in Scottsdale, Arizona, and who was also indicted over attempts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 defeat.
Bernard Kerik, the former commissioner of the New York Police Department, was imprisoned for tax fraud and making false statements - charges later pardoned by Mr Trump.
It comes as Mr Trump’s trial on criminal charges of covering up hush money payments to a porn star Stormy Daniels to protect his 2016 election campaign approached its final stages, with the defence finishing cross-examination of star witness Michael Cohen and closing arguments expected next week.
Mr Trump’s lawyers set out to paint Mr Cohen as a convicted criminal and habitual liar, recalling his time in prison for tax fraud and lying to Congress.
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Originally published as Trump will not testify in criminal trial, deletes promotional video using ‘Reich’
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