Former campaign aide ahead of first trial: Trump cases political ‘from beginning to end’

Tim Murtaugh, the former 2020 Trump campaign communications director, argued that former President Trump’s ongoing legal battles are political “from beginning to end” and likely stem from him running for president again.

“Talking about the trial, or jury selection is about to start on Monday, I mean, I think if you take this and then the other three legal actions that are going on against former President Trump, I think the first question that anyone Republican, Democrat, independent, or otherwise, should ask themselves is ‘would any of these things be happening if Donald Trump were not running for president of the United States again?” Murtaugh said on NewsNation Friday. “And I think the obvious answer is no, no, they wouldn’t be happening.”

“And then once you arrive at that conclusion, the only possible explanation is that all of this is political,” he continued, later adding that “It’s all political. It’s political from beginning to end.”

Murtaugh argued that in Trump’s New York hush money trial, which is set to begin with jury selection Monday, allegedly took place in 2016 and 2017, several years ago. He said they chose to bring the case forward right now to disrupt Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Despite attempting to delay the trial past the November election, Trump’s hush money trial is going to begin Apr. 15. The highly publicized case is drawing a lot of attention as the first criminal trial of a former president.

The case is set to have two key witnesses: Adult film star Stormy Daniels and Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. The case alleges that Trump illegally falsified business records reimbursing Cohen for paying Daniels to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Murtaugh criticized Cohen, saying “nothing” Cohen says during the trial should be taken at face value because he has an “axe to grind” with his former boss.

The former president was asked about the upcoming trial Friday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, said the jury selection would be “largely luck” and he would “absolutely” testify if needed.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.