Tuesday saw Donald Trump leave the courtroom after his second appearance of the week to visit a bodega in Manhattan that was the scene of a high-profile incident.
The former president made a visit at the Sanaa Convenient Store in Harlem, which was formerly called the Blue Moon Convenient Store. Two years before, Jose Alba, the cashier, fatally killed an ex-convict while acting in self-defense.
Following a request by New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg—the same man now spearheading the prosecution of Mr. Trump on 34 charges of falsifying company records—the case was eventually withdrawn, sparking considerable indignation. Mr. Alba had originally been charged with murder.
Cheers and chanting of "USA! USA!" and "four more years!" came from a throng of fans as Mr. Trump arrived for a meeting with the store's co-owner Maad Ahmed and small business booster Francisco Marte.
"I am thrilled to have been invited by the Bodegas Association; I am respected by them and they by me." Mr. Trump told reporters, "They want law and order, they have tremendous crime, a lot of crime, and they are robbing their stores."
"It is absurd; no judge has ever been as conflicted as this one [in this case]," he said. No crime occurs.
"You know where the offense took place? Inside the bodegas... The bodegas should get equitable treatment since they are robbed twice or three times a week, which is absurd. You know what, though? The cops need to be given the freedom to carry out their duties. They are capable of doing both.
He continued, saying that New York had become "bad in the last few years," and if he were to take office again, he would "straighten out" the city.
"He goes after guys like Trump who did nothing wrong," the former president added, referring to Mr. Bragg, who Mr. Trump claims ran for the Democratic Party on the pledge that he would "get Trump."
"They go after Trump because they know there are hundreds of murders in the city and they know who the killers are."
On Thursday, the jury selection process for Mr. Trump's criminal trial will resume. "Any juror who is fair," he told reporters, would be a perfect fit to serve on his panel.
The former president made a visit at the Sanaa Convenient Store in Harlem, which was formerly called the Blue Moon Convenient Store. Two years before, Jose Alba, the cashier, fatally killed an ex-convict while acting in self-defense.
Following a request by New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg—the same man now spearheading the prosecution of Mr. Trump on 34 charges of falsifying company records—the case was eventually withdrawn, sparking considerable indignation. Mr. Alba had originally been charged with murder.
Cheers and chanting of "USA! USA!" and "four more years!" came from a throng of fans as Mr. Trump arrived for a meeting with the store's co-owner Maad Ahmed and small business booster Francisco Marte.
"I am thrilled to have been invited by the Bodegas Association; I am respected by them and they by me." Mr. Trump told reporters, "They want law and order, they have tremendous crime, a lot of crime, and they are robbing their stores."
"It is absurd; no judge has ever been as conflicted as this one [in this case]," he said. No crime occurs.
"You know where the offense took place? Inside the bodegas... The bodegas should get equitable treatment since they are robbed twice or three times a week, which is absurd. You know what, though? The cops need to be given the freedom to carry out their duties. They are capable of doing both.
He continued, saying that New York had become "bad in the last few years," and if he were to take office again, he would "straighten out" the city.
"He goes after guys like Trump who did nothing wrong," the former president added, referring to Mr. Bragg, who Mr. Trump claims ran for the Democratic Party on the pledge that he would "get Trump."
"They go after Trump because they know there are hundreds of murders in the city and they know who the killers are."
On Thursday, the jury selection process for Mr. Trump's criminal trial will resume. "Any juror who is fair," he told reporters, would be a perfect fit to serve on his panel.
