After making a court appearance, Trump lashes out at legal proceedings, his attorneys, and the election
The individual expressed his discontent regarding his legal skills during a press briefing, stating, "I’m disappointed in my legal talent," he told reporters.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump, expressing frustration over his legal issues and the current state of the campaign, sought to dominate the news cycle on Friday.
He organized a hastily arranged press conference amidst a day filled with campaign events and court proceedings, venting his frustrations to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower regarding his appeal in a sex abuse and defamation case. He criticized his legal team's performance and accused the moderators of the upcoming ABC debate of bias, while also expressing disapproval of Vice President Kamala Harris for not addressing the press as frequently as he does.
“This is a disgraceful case and disgraceful, in particular, because it is about a former president of the United States who is now leading in the polls to be the president again,” Trump stated, before recounting explicit details of the sexual assault allegations he has denied. “I feel sad,” he added, “that I have to come up here and explain it.”
Although he intended to discuss the day’s jobs report, which fell short of expectations, Trump only briefly touched on this subject after his lengthy 45-minute monologue. He pivoted to migration and crime before concluding his remarks, which predominantly focused on the civil and criminal cases against him. These legal challenges have rallied support among his Republican allies and voters, with his campaign frequently sending out fundraising emails emphasizing his ongoing legal battles.
“This is a long and complicated web and story and it goes back to the DOJ, Kamala, Sleepy Joe and all the rest of them. We have a whole rigged election system,” Trump commented. “We had a trial today. It's an appeal of a ridiculous verdict of a woman I have never met.”
Standing at a lectern accompanied by his attorneys, Trump exhibited clear agitation as he spoke about his morning court appearance, expressing disappointment in his legal representation. His lawyers had requested a federal appeals court to overturn a $5 million verdict that found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump has steadfastly denied these allegations.
“I have all this legal talent, but legal talent cannot overcome rigged judges, they can’t overcome a 4 percent Republican area. I’m disappointed in my legal talent, I’ll be honest with you,” he remarked. “They’re good, they’re good people, they’re talented people, but today at the trial they didn’t mention the dress. A Monica Lewinsky type dress was a big part of the trial. I said, ‘why didn’t you mention that?’”
Following his remarks, Trump learned that the judge overseeing his criminal hush-money trial had decided to delay sentencing until after the upcoming election. He was scheduled to travel to North Carolina later in the day to address police officers, a state that has become more competitive for him recently since Harris became the frontrunner.
His extensive, meandering speech — labeled as a “press conference” despite no questions being taken from reporters — was part of a strategy to reclaim his position in the race and draw attention away from Harris. The vice president has seen favorable polling, a surge in fundraising, and large, enthusiastic crowds, even while largely steering clear of direct interactions with the media.
While Harris recently participated in a single interview with CNN, Trump has been actively engaging with both conservative and mainstream media outlets. His running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, regularly addresses reporters during their campaign activities.
During Trump's press event, attorneys Will Scharf and Alina Habba also took the podium to discuss the case. “You must vote Donald Trump back in,” Habba urged as Trump listened. “The DOJ is supposed to help our country and protect us, not attack us because you cannot win in the polls.”
Trump then launched into a lengthy tirade against two witnesses, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who testified against him in the Carroll case, referencing notes he had made. His lawyers contended in their appeal that the testimony of these witnesses should not have been included in the trial.
At one point, he dismissed Leeds’s allegations that he "grabbed her" and initiated unwanted advances on an airplane in the 1970s, questioning the plausibility of such an event. “What are the chances of that happening?” Trump said, adding, “frankly, I know you’re going to say it is a terrible thing to say, but it couldn’t have happened, it didn't happen, and she would not have been the chosen one.”
“She has gone around for years saying this story, and it’s a total lie. Now, I assume she will sue me now for defamation like E. Jean Carroll,” Trump concluded.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
He organized a hastily arranged press conference amidst a day filled with campaign events and court proceedings, venting his frustrations to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower regarding his appeal in a sex abuse and defamation case. He criticized his legal team's performance and accused the moderators of the upcoming ABC debate of bias, while also expressing disapproval of Vice President Kamala Harris for not addressing the press as frequently as he does.
“This is a disgraceful case and disgraceful, in particular, because it is about a former president of the United States who is now leading in the polls to be the president again,” Trump stated, before recounting explicit details of the sexual assault allegations he has denied. “I feel sad,” he added, “that I have to come up here and explain it.”
Although he intended to discuss the day’s jobs report, which fell short of expectations, Trump only briefly touched on this subject after his lengthy 45-minute monologue. He pivoted to migration and crime before concluding his remarks, which predominantly focused on the civil and criminal cases against him. These legal challenges have rallied support among his Republican allies and voters, with his campaign frequently sending out fundraising emails emphasizing his ongoing legal battles.
“This is a long and complicated web and story and it goes back to the DOJ, Kamala, Sleepy Joe and all the rest of them. We have a whole rigged election system,” Trump commented. “We had a trial today. It's an appeal of a ridiculous verdict of a woman I have never met.”
Standing at a lectern accompanied by his attorneys, Trump exhibited clear agitation as he spoke about his morning court appearance, expressing disappointment in his legal representation. His lawyers had requested a federal appeals court to overturn a $5 million verdict that found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump has steadfastly denied these allegations.
“I have all this legal talent, but legal talent cannot overcome rigged judges, they can’t overcome a 4 percent Republican area. I’m disappointed in my legal talent, I’ll be honest with you,” he remarked. “They’re good, they’re good people, they’re talented people, but today at the trial they didn’t mention the dress. A Monica Lewinsky type dress was a big part of the trial. I said, ‘why didn’t you mention that?’”
Following his remarks, Trump learned that the judge overseeing his criminal hush-money trial had decided to delay sentencing until after the upcoming election. He was scheduled to travel to North Carolina later in the day to address police officers, a state that has become more competitive for him recently since Harris became the frontrunner.
His extensive, meandering speech — labeled as a “press conference” despite no questions being taken from reporters — was part of a strategy to reclaim his position in the race and draw attention away from Harris. The vice president has seen favorable polling, a surge in fundraising, and large, enthusiastic crowds, even while largely steering clear of direct interactions with the media.
While Harris recently participated in a single interview with CNN, Trump has been actively engaging with both conservative and mainstream media outlets. His running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, regularly addresses reporters during their campaign activities.
During Trump's press event, attorneys Will Scharf and Alina Habba also took the podium to discuss the case. “You must vote Donald Trump back in,” Habba urged as Trump listened. “The DOJ is supposed to help our country and protect us, not attack us because you cannot win in the polls.”
Trump then launched into a lengthy tirade against two witnesses, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who testified against him in the Carroll case, referencing notes he had made. His lawyers contended in their appeal that the testimony of these witnesses should not have been included in the trial.
At one point, he dismissed Leeds’s allegations that he "grabbed her" and initiated unwanted advances on an airplane in the 1970s, questioning the plausibility of such an event. “What are the chances of that happening?” Trump said, adding, “frankly, I know you’re going to say it is a terrible thing to say, but it couldn’t have happened, it didn't happen, and she would not have been the chosen one.”
“She has gone around for years saying this story, and it’s a total lie. Now, I assume she will sue me now for defamation like E. Jean Carroll,” Trump concluded.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
