Testifying Sunday about his alleged infidelity, former President Trump said the weeks-long hush-money criminal trial in New York City and Thursday’s guilty verdict had been “very painful” for his wife, Melania.
Trump was convicted on Thursday of 34 felony counts of forgery of business documents, the first time a former president has been convicted of a crime. Trump is appealing the sentence.
The charges relate to hush money paid just weeks before the 2016 election to cover up an alleged past affair between Trump and an adult film star, which Trump denies.
The alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels took place in 2006, just a year after Trump married Melania Trump and a few months after their son Barron was born.
“She’s doing fine, but I think it’s very hard on her,” Trump said of the former first lady in an interview on “Fox & Friends,” adding that “in a lot of ways it’s harder on them.” [his family] It’s more important than me.”
“I have a wonderful wife and she hears this all the time. These are the reasons they do it. They call these people dirty names and I’m under a gag order not even allowed to defend myself. Think about that,” Trump said, without specifying who “they” were.
“But they put this stuff in there to cause havoc. They’re bad people,” he continued. “I know everything they’re doing. I know every move they make. I understand.”
Later in the interview, Trump said he was “not concerned” by the possibility of prison. He could face up to four years in prison on the charges, but that is considered unlikely. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
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