President Trump’s visit to the Bronx is taking place just days before a Manhattan jury is set to begin deliberations on whether or not to convict him.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has said that the legal cases against former President Donald Trump are effectively serving as a “legal version of an ankle bracelet,” affecting his campaigning ahead of the November elections.
The New York lawmaker made the comments in a statement to multiple media outlets outside Capitol Hill on Wednesday just one day before President Trump’s upcoming visit to the South Bronx.
Multiple media outlets have described the Bronx event as a rally, reporting that it will be President Trump’s first large-scale campaign in New York state since 2016, when he held two events at the Times Union Center in Albany and another in Buffalo.
However, The Epoch Times has not been able to independently confirm those claims.
“By the way, Trump’s doing it in the South Bronx not to make a point, but because he’s got court,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told reporters.
“The man practically has the legal version of an ankle bracelet around him, and he can’t leave the five boroughs because he always has to be in court,” she continued. “So it is truly an embarrassment to him.”
President Trump’s visit to the Bronx is taking place just days before a Manhattan jury is set to begin deliberations on whether or not to convict him of felony charges in his New York trial.
The former U.S. leader has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to a $130,000 payment from his former personal attorney Michael Cohen to Stephanie Clifford, better known as adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels, during his 2016 campaign.
Trump Trial Hinders Campaign Efforts
Prosecutors claim the payment was made to Ms. Clifford to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with President Trump that she claims took place decades earlier.
President Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
However, he is required to be present in the courtroom for the duration of the trial, which his Republican allies argue has severely hindered his campaigning ahead of November’s presidential elections.