Donald Trump rails against cases against him in Michigan speech before a rowdy crowd on day off from criminal court

Former President Donald Trump blasted the criminal and civil cases against him and railed against the presiding judges and President Biden at an energized rally in Michigan as he took a day off from court. 

The ex-president's travel to Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday were the first campaign rallies Trump has held since the hush money trial against him began in New York nearly three weeks ago. 

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records for covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. 

Over the past two weeks, multiple witnesses have taken the stand to give salacious details of his alleged affairs and efforts to hide them before the 2016 election. 

It is the first of four criminal case against Trump to go to trial. 

'Every one of these fake cases is bulls**t,' the ex-president said to a boisterous crowd outside an airplane hanger. 'Every single one of them.'

Donald Trump at a rally in Freeland, Michigan where he slammed the criminal cases against him while on a day off from court in the hush money case

'I have come here today from New York City where I'm being forced to sit for days on end in a kangaroo courtroom with a corrupt and conflicted judge enduring a Biden sideshow trial,' Trump said as the crowd booed. 

Trump claimed what his supporters are witnessing in New York is 'not a legal proceeding' but an 'unlawful exercise in very stupid and very evil politics.' 

He suggested lot of political opponents wouldn't do well under such circumstances, but Trump argued he has a 'relationship with the people' and when he explains it to them, they 'understand it's a scam.'

The ex-president claimed the good news is the cases have driven up his poll numbers and said the ultimate verdict will not come in a courtroom but at the ballot box. 

The ex-president's travel to Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday were the first campaign rallies Trump has held since the hush money trial against him began in New York nearly three weeks ago

Donald Trump flew into Michigan for a rally at an airfield where his plane pulled up before an energized crowd of supporters 

A supporter of Donald Trump's at his rally in Freeland, MI where the ex-president visited on Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Trump prepares to walk on stage at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha Wisconsin 

During his rally in Freeland, MI, Trump blasted the criminal cases against him and complained about the gag order in the hush money case to a crowd of rowdy supporters

'What happened is incredible, and we could have done something on Hillary Clinton. I thought it would be a terrible thing for the country to be honest with you, terrible,' Trump said referencing his 2016 presidential opponent.  

'We could have done it on other people too,' Trump added. 'They did on me what was never ever supposed to happen, especially when there's nothing.' 

The ex-president blasted the judge in the hush money case Judge Juan Merchan and lamented being 'gagged.'

'I'm not even supposed to talk to you because he gagged me,' Trump dramatically exclaimed.  

Trump was found to have violated the gag order in the case and fined $9,000 in court on Tuesday. He was also ordered to take down multiple posts from Truth Social, which he did Tuesday afternoon.

The judge signaled if Trump continues to violate the order, he could face jail but the order also specifically noted that Trump is a political candidate for office and acknowledged the importance to protect his first amendment rights. 

Donald Trump in a Manhattan criminal courtroom on April 30 where he is standing trial for falsifying business records

A sketch from Trump's hush money trial where texts have been read aloud in court over whether the ex-president cheated on his wife Melania

Trump will return to court for the hush money case on Thursday where witness testimony is set to resume. 

The Republican presidential candidate also held an event earlier in the day Wednesday in the battleground state of Wisconsin where he also blasted the cases against him. 

During the afternoon rally, the ex-president acknowledged that he did in fact want to go to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

'I sat in the back, and you know what I did say? I said "I’d like to go down there because I see a lot of people walking down."' Trump recalled telling the Secret Service. 'They said "sir, it’s better if you don’t."' 

Trump is facing a separate case in Washington, DC over election interference. The trial date for the case has not been set yet. 

Last week, the ex-president's lawyer argued before the Supreme Court that the president has absolute immunity as he fights the case stemming from the investigation of Special Counsel Jack Smith of efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 

 The Supreme Court is expected to release its decision on immunity by the end of June. 

Trump's visit to Michigan was his second visit to the state in just over a month. He was last in Grand Rapids in early April. 

The latest polls from the battleground state show a razor thin race. The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Trump with just over a one point lead. But the recent CBS News poll shows President ahead in the state by barely two points.