Donald Trump has revealed the effect of his guilty verdict on his wife, admitting it had taken a toll on his wife and former first lady Melania Trump.
Trump acknowledged the criminal trial has been tougher on his family, especially his wife Melania and son Barron, than it had for him.
“I have a wonderful wife who has to listen to this stuff all the time. They do that for this reason. They do that all these salacious names that they put in, of these people,” Trump said. “And I’m not even allowed to defend myself because of the gag order.”
The Republican nominee became the first former president convicted of a crime when he was found guilty on Thursday of 34 counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election.
The trial involved charges that Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her silent about an alleged affair in 2006.
Trump has denied the charges, and has denounced the New York jury’s verdict as “rigged” and connected to the Biden adiministration during his press conference at Trump Tower on Friday.
The former President suggested in a pre-taped interview with Fox & Friends on Sunday that the trial and verdict was intended by “bad people” to “create havoc,” though he did not specify by whom.
When asked about his wife, Trump said that she is “fine” before adding that “it’s very hard for her.”
“I think it’s probably in many ways. It’s tougher on my family. Melania, she’s fine, but I think it’s very hard for her. I mean, she’s fine. But it’s, you know, she has to read all this c—,” Trump told Fox & Friends.
Trump has been married since January 2005 to Melania, who gave birth to the couple’s only son, Barron in March 2006.
When asked about Barron, Trump responded by calling his son “amazing, actually in a certain way, and he’s tall. He’s good-looking. He’s a very good student.”
“And he’s is applying to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes. You know, he’s very sought after from the standpoint,” he continued. “He’s a very smart guy. Very tall guy. But he’s amazing. He’s a great kid.”
Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, where he will formally accept the GOP’s presidential nominee.
