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Former President Donald Trump: “It should be ZERO US dollars”
Photo: Marco Bello / REUTERS
Former President Donald Trump has an important date coming up this Monday: He has to pay the fine from a fraud trial worth almost half a billion US dollars as bail. More thin-skinned than usual, he has now vented his anger about the reporting on the deadline in advance.
There have been many reports in the past few days about the process, its financial situation - and the Trump team's urgent appeals for donations. One news channel particularly displeased Trump: his actual favorite channel, Fox News.
Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social that he didn't like how Fox News was reporting "on Letitia James' election interruption maneuver." By the word construct he means the deadline for bail payments set by New York's Attorney General and Democrat Letitia James. Fox allegedly didn't want to explain how "ridiculous" the amount of the bail amount was. “It should be ZERO US dollars,” said Trump.
In February, Trump, who wants to be re-elected US President in November, was sentenced to a fine of more than $350 million in a fraud trial. With interest, the total amount due is now more than $450 million. Until recently, it was unclear whether Trump would be able to meet the deadline.
If the bail payment does not come on time, the judiciary could take the first steps on Monday to seize Trump's properties or freeze accounts. However, Trump has asked an appeals court to either suspend payment of the fine or initially accept a guarantee of payment of only $100 million.
Cooled relationship with Fox News
To date, there has never been a criminal trial against an ex-president in US history. Trump is actively using the trial for his election campaign and is spreading the message to his supporters that the US judiciary is working with the Democrats to torpedo his election campaign.
However, Trump has not yet spoken out against his former favorite channel, Fox News. Trump did not say exactly which program or show he was referring to. The relationship between the conservative broadcaster and Trump has been cooling for some time. Except for a public panel discussion in Iowa earlier this year, Trump had recently stayed away from the station. His last live appearance on Fox News will be in 2022.
mrc/dpa