Trump Compares Himself to Mother Teresa in a Bizarre Rant Outside Hush Money NY Courtroom

The former president, Donald Trump expressed his belief that the jury would convict him of falsifying business records as he compared himself to Mother Teresa while addressing the press outside a New York courtroom. Trump stated, "Mother Teresa could not beat these charges! The charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged," which drew backlash from many as reported by Politico. 

The statement fueled trolls by netizens, user @mgstupelo tweeted, "Mother Teresa would have never had any such charges." Another user @RobinHoodlum said, "Mother Teresa was no Saint either." Following this user @florenc90080973 stated, "This man is so uncouth using Mother Teresa she was an honest woman putting her in the same place them him TRUMP IS S CRIMINAL." Trump's criminal hush-money case in New York moved closer to its conclusion as jury deliberations began shortly before 11:30 am local time. Jurors deliberated for about four and a half hours before being sent home at 4 PM. In the late afternoon, they sent two notes to the court: one requesting to hear some trial testimony from two key witnesses, and the other asking to review Judge Juan Merchan’s instructions. Before deliberations, Judge Merchan gave jurors legal instructions to guide them in evaluating the case per The Guardian.

Merchan emphasized that jurors should not interpret his remarks during the trial as indicating Trump's innocence or guilt. "It is not my responsibility to judge the evidence here. You are the judges of the facts. You may not speculate with matters related to sentencing or punishment," Merchan said. The ex-president is charged with falsifying business records concerning payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump is the first US president, past or present, to undergo a criminal trial.

Manhattan prosecutors allege that Trump's then-attorney, Michael Cohen, transferred $130,000 to Daniels just days before the election to prevent her from disclosing an alleged extramarital affair and potentially harming Trump's electoral prospects. They claim that Trump, Cohen, and tabloid executive David Pecker convened at Trump Tower in the summer of 2015, where they devised a strategy to suppress unfavorable information.

Jurors requested testimony from Pecker regarding a phone call with Trump, his handling of the life rights of one alleged Trump paramour, and his testimony about the Trump Tower meeting. They additionally requested Cohen's testimony regarding the same meeting. Explaining further, Merchan said, "One person engages in conduct which constitutes an offense, another is criminally liable for such conduct when acting for the state of mind required for that offense, he or she solicits, requests, commands, importunes or intentionally aids [...] in that conduct,” Merchan explained.

Trump is also involved in three other criminal cases: one concerning his alleged attempts to influence the 2020 election in Georgia, another related to his actions surrounding the January 6 Capitol attack, and a third involving his handling of sensitive documents post-White House departure.