Elon Musk has criticized the trial of former President Donald Trump in New York, branding it as a perversion of justice and an instance of “lawfare,” as the historic trial commenced in a Manhattan courtroom.
Musk’s comment was in response to former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s post. Ramaswamy argued on X that Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump hinges on a preposterous legal argument: that a candidate must utilize campaign funds to make personal hush money payments.
Ramaswamy pointed out the irony that if Trump had followed such a course of action, authorities would likely have pursued him for misusing campaign funds. He highlighted that according to the laws of New York, the charge in question should be classified as a misdemeanor. This classification would render the case invalid as it would be beyond the statute of limitations. However, Bragg devised a way around this issue by elevating the charge to a felony level. This allowed the case to proceed despite the statute of limitations, providing a legal basis for the prosecution to pursue the matter.
Both men believe that the trial is deeply divisive for the nation. That if the prosecution wins, the nation is basically going to hell.
Officially titled The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump, the trial alleges that Trump concealed payments termed as “hush money” to an adult film actress by falsifying business records. President Trump, maintaining his innocence, has consistently portrayed the case as politically motivated, emphasizing it as an assault on his political standing rather than a pursuit of justice.
The charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accuse Trump of 34 counts of falsifying business records, which Bragg has elevated to felonies. Bragg asserts these payments were part of an electoral influence scheme to suppress unfavorable media coverage of Trump’s alleged affair with Stormy Daniels in exchange for $130,000.
Despite Trump’s denial of the affair, he has produced documents and statements challenging the accusations. On April 10, he took to social media to defend himself against allegations of having an affair with Stormy Daniels. He shared a picture of an official statement signed by Daniels, which was dated January 30, 2018. In the statement, Daniels denies reports that she received ‘hush money’ for keeping quiet about the affair. Furthermore, she explicitly states that the alleged affair never took place. “I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
Daniels has since retracted her previous statements, citing pressure from her representatives, and has written a revealing book about the purported affair. Daniels faces significant financial obligations to Trump due to failed lawsuits, including a defamation case over a tweet. Despite this, she has declared her refusal to pay and is willing to face legal consequences.
The trial has sparked controversy over Bragg’s legal strategy, with critics, including Ramaswamy, labeling it a “legal stretch.” Ramaswamy argues that Bragg’s attempts to elevate misdemeanor charges to felonies lack substantive legal basis and appear politically motivated.
Musk echoed Ramaswamy’s sentiment, denouncing the trial as a distortion of the legal system and describing it as “lawfare,” a term denoting the use of legal actions for strategic or political purposes.
Critics warn that such tactics threaten to polarize the country further and undermine the integrity of the legal system. They view Bragg’s prosecution of Trump as a fulfillment of a political agenda rather than a pursuit of justice, casting doubt on the credibility of the legal proceedings.
Ramaswamy has said that Bragg is fulfilling his campaign promise; Bragg’s campaign promise was that he would go with after Donald Trump. He believes that this whole trial is a joke.
Alvin Bragg‘s case against Trump rests on the ludicrous legal premise that a candidate must use *campaign* funds to make personal hush money payments. Yet if Trump had done that, they’d undoubtedly be going after him for that. This isn’t the pursuit of justice, it’s a political… pic.twitter.com/PajtiLegIx
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) April 15, 2024
