Former President Donald Trump has claimed that his criminal trial in Manhattan has prevented him from campaigning in key swing states. Despite his assertions that the trial has kept him from visiting Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, a review of his activities during the trial’s first four weeks shows that he has done little campaign travel and held few public campaign events on days off from court. In fact, he has spent most of his 12 court-free days out of voters’ view at his properties in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Additionally, he did not use any of those free days to visit the states he claimed the trial was preventing him from visiting.
During the trial, Trump has had 12 court-free days, where he was not required in court on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and one Monday in late April. However, on seven of those days, he held no public events, and on eight of the days, he did not engage in any public campaigning activities except for a brief appearance for the cameras before a private meeting at Trump Tower in New York City. Despite these free days, Trump did not visit Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, or New Hampshire as he claimed the trial was hindering him from doing.
While Trump has done some campaign travel during the trial, including holding rallies in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan, attending a fundraiser and rally in North Carolina (which was called off due to weather), and making campaign-style appearances in New York City before or after court appearances, he has let the majority of the 12 off days pass without engaging in public campaign events. Instead, he has spent some of his time golfing, attending fundraisers, and holding meetings at his various properties.
Despite his claims that the trial has prevented him from campaigning in key swing states, Trump’s actual actions during the trial show that he has not focused much on public campaign events during his free days. While he is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in New Jersey and has visited states like Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida during the trial, he has not made significant efforts to campaign in the states he claimed he was unable to visit due to the trial. Overall, Trump’s activities during the trial indicate that his campaign efforts have not been as extensive as he has suggested.
