Trump Becomes First US President to Face Criminal Trial
Biden Faces Increased Elderly Risk Due to Memory Decline
In the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, a rematch is expected between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who are each being hampered by 'age controversy' and 'judicial risks,' respectively. Former President Trump has had the date for his first criminal trial related to allegations of hush money in a sexual misconduct scandal set for next month, while President Biden faces the situation of having to watch a special prosecutor's public congressional testimony that has ignited controversy over his memory decline due to old age.
According to local media such as The New York Times (NYT) and CNN on the 15th (local time), the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York announced that the trial procedure for former President Trump will begin on the 25th of next month.
This is the first time a criminal trial has been held for a former or sitting U.S. president. Former President Trump pleaded not guilty and requested a delay of the trial until after the November election, but the request was denied.
Outside the courtroom, former President Trump criticized, "If I were not running for president and doing well, they wouldn't have brought this issue (to court) at all."
Currently, former President Trump faces 91 criminal charges across four cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, interference in the 2020 election, payments to cover up sexual misconduct, and leaking classified documents. He has been employing a 'trial delay' strategy until the November election, but it did not work this time.
The trial date confirmed this time is related to allegations that former President Trump paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to cover up a sexual encounter and falsified company records. There are 34 charges applied to former President Trump in connection with this matter. On this day, Judge Juan Merchan of the Manhattan Criminal Court predicted that the process from jury selection to verdict would take about six weeks.
As former President Trump's judicial risks increase, President Biden's memory decline issue due to old age has come under scrutiny.
Earlier, Robert Hur, a Korean-American special prosecutor who investigated President Biden's classified information leak allegations, described President Biden as a "well-meaning but forgetful old man" in a report released on the 8th, highlighting his advanced age (81 years). The special prosecutor wrote in the report that President Biden could not recall the years he served as vice president or the year of his eldest son Beau Biden's death. In response, President Biden held an immediate press conference to refute the claims, but local media reported that he showed memory errors even during the explanation. The opposition Republican Party is preparing to persistently make President Biden's memory decline a key issue. Regarding this, Special Prosecutor Hur is discussing plans to appear before Congress early next month to give public testimony.
Voters are sensitive to the controversy over President Biden's age. According to an ABC News survey conducted on the 10th, 86% of Americans believe President Biden is "too old" to serve a second term. Earlier, an NBC News survey conducted at the end of last month found that 76% of voters judged that President Biden lacks the necessary mental and physical health to perform the duties of the presidency.
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