Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, is scheduled to hold rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, following a fine from a judge in his New York criminal trial for violating a gag order, with the possibility of further penalties including jail time. These rallies, his first major campaign events since the trial began on April 15, coincide with accusations of falsifying business records related to a payment to a porn star.
As the first former U.S. president to face a criminal trial, Trump is coordinating his campaign around court proceedings expected to continue until May. The rallies in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Freeland, Michigan, offer him a platform to address the gag order penalties and the recent wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses nationwide.
In Manhattan, Justice Juan Merchan fined Trump for violating the order not to criticize trial witnesses. The charges against him allege falsification of business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence porn star Stormy Daniels regarding a 2006 sexual encounter, which Trump denies.
Polls suggest a close race between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Trump is expected to discuss crime, inflation, and immigration policies in Waukesha, contrasting his plans with Biden's "weak border policies." He is also likely to address the pro-Palestinian protests, which have garnered political attention.
Trump has described the protests as driven by "tremendous hate" and has attempted to blame Biden for the unrest. In contrast, Biden's campaign has expressed support for peaceful protests while condemning violent rhetoric and antisemitism, particularly on college campuses.
Wisconsin and Michigan are pivotal swing states in the election. Trump narrowly lost Wisconsin to Biden by 20,000 votes and Michigan by 154,000 votes. In response, Biden's campaign announced that he would travel to Detroit, Michigan, on May 19.