Donald Trump was one of several elected officials (current and former) to attend Jonathan Diller’s wake on Friday (March 29). While some people question his true intentions behind the visit, others claim it could help the former President in his ‘Hush Money’ trial, which begins in two weeks. Here’s what you need to know!
What Happened To Officer Jonathan Diller?
Jonathan Diller, a 34-year-old officer with the New York Police Department, was initiating a traffic stop when he was shot dead by two suspects in an illegally parked vehicle. It was the first New York City police officer killed in the line of duty in two years.
Lindy Jones and Guy Rivera were identified as the two men in the vehicle. Rivera, the man behind the gun, was charged with first-degree murder (among other charges), while Jones, the driver of the SUV, was charged with various weapons offenses.
Trump Attends Diller’s Wake On March 29
On March 28 and 29, thousands of friends, family, and community members gathered in suburban Massapequa on Long Island for Diller’s wake – which was followed by his funeral service on Saturday (March 30).
Donald Trump was among a few politicians in attendance, along with New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams. Many people were quick to point out that President Joe Biden didn’t attend – though the Biden Administration’s hearts go out to the officer’s family.
Calls The Police ‘The Greatest People We Have’
Speaking to reporters after attending the wake, Trump described Diller’s death as ‘such a sad, sad event, such a horrible thing.’ He called on America to ‘toughen it up’ because killings like the one the world witnessed last week are happening too often.
“The police are the greatest people we have. There’s nothing and there’s nobody like them. And this should never happen,” Trump said. “We have to get back to law and order. We have to do a lot of things differently. This is not working. This is happening too often.”
Joe Biden Takes Jab At Trump With New Ad
Earlier this week, Joe Biden posted a new campaign ad to his X account. The video switched between images of Biden on the campaign trail and images of Trump golfing and bragging about winning a golf championship at his residence golf course.
“I’ll tell you this: There’s a difference between the two candidates in this election,” Biden wrote in the caption. The video highlighted Biden visiting eight swing states in 18 days as he continued his push to discredit the Trump Administration.
Republicans Make Biden Eat His Words
Unfortunately for Biden, his words came back to bite him when Republicans pointed out a bit of irony. “You tweeted this as Trump is attending a slain NYPD officer’s funeral, and you are partying with Lizzo. There’s a difference indeed,” said one conservative journalist.
They were referring to the Democratic fundraising event that saw Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton raise more than $25 million in campaign funds in one night. Stephen Colbert moderated a conversation with the two former Presidents and one sitting President.
Lawyer Thinks Trump’s Visit Will Help Him In Court Case
Bill Shipley, a lawyer who represents a number of defendants charged in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, thinks Trump’s visit on Friday will be key in gaining a sympathy vote when he visits a Manhattan court in two weeks.
“Please let this be a Trump campaign ad that runs in April and May in NYC media,” Shipley wrote in an X post. “If it is, when Trump gets no worse than a hung jury in the NY case being tried in Manhattan, we’ll all know why. And the progressive tears will flow like a river.”
What Is A Hung Jury?
A hung jury, sometimes referred to as a deadlocked jury, is one that is unable to come to a unanimous decision on whether or not the accused party is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The only way a suspect is proven guilty is if 100% of the jurors agree on the verdict. If that isn’t met, then the case can end with a hung jury – which usually means the case will be tried again in court at a later date.
Shipley Referring To Trump’s ‘Hush Money’ Case
Shipley was referring to Trump’s upcoming ‘Hush Money’ criminal case that’s about to heat up in a few weeks. Trump is being accused of falsifying business records when he sent Stormy Daniels money to stay quiet about their alleged affair.
He’s facing 34 felony counts, but is denying any wrongdoing. Unfortunately, the man who assisted Trump in sending the money has since turned on him and is likely to testify against him in court. There’s a good chance Trump is convicted, but anything can happen.
Trump’s Trial Begins On April 15
On Monday (March 25), a Manhattan judge ruled that Trump’s trial will begin on April 15. It comes just a few days after Trump’s legal team accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office of tainting the case with prosecutorial misconduct.
“You’re literally accusing the Manhattan DA’s office and the people assigned to this case of engaging in prosecutorial misconduct and of trying to make me complicit in it. And you don’t have a single cite to support that position,” the judge said.
Trump Tried To Move The Trial To NYC – But He Failed
Donald Trump hasn’t had a whole lot of ‘wins’ thus far in his ‘Hush Money’ case. His legal team has already tried to move the trial to Staten Island, where he would be tried in a more favorable environment – one that would treat a Republican well.
Unfortunately for Trump, that didn’t happen. “Very unfair venue, with some areas that voted 1% Republican. This case should be moved to nearby Staten Island—would be a very fair and secure location for the trial,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump Facing 57 Other Felony Charges
Aside from the 34 felony counts he’s facing in New York, Trump has 57 other felony charges to worry about – four felony counts in Washington D.C., 13 felony counts in Georgia, and 40 felony counts in Florida.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, his charges in D.C. relate to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, his charges in Georgia relate to his efforts to overturn Georgia’s results in 2020, and his charges in Florida pertain to his handling of classified documents.
Many Believe Trump Could Win Re-Election This Year
Despite facing 91 felony charges, many people believe Donald Trump has a real shot at winning re-election in the 2024 presidential election. He currently holds a slight advantage over Joe Biden in most polls, but it’s supposed to be an extremely close race.
Even Barack Obama has warned Biden of the amount of support Trump has gained over the past few years – and some Democrat voters are starting to open up to Trump’s policies. It should make for an interesting election day come November.
