London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

'Trump enjoys being the victim.' Alvin Bragg's 34-count indictment could help him argue he's been unfairly targeted, ex-prosecutors say.

'Trump enjoys being the victim.' Alvin Bragg's 34-count indictment could help him argue he's been unfairly targeted, ex-prosecutors say.

"You've got to work hard to make President Trump a martyr," Rep. Nancy Mace said, adding the indictment "managed to do just that."
Former President Donald Trump has long framed himself as a victim being unfairly targeted by the establishment, and his recent indictment could provide more fodder for him and his allies to cling to.

The indictment was unveiled Tuesday, revealing the former president was being charged on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a $130,000 hush-money payment that was made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the affair and being involved in the payment.

But former prosecutors told Insider the indictment was underwhelming, noting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not specify exactly what underlying crime Trump allegedly committed that would've justified the bumping the charges up to felony status.

They also said the 34 counts could be viewed as excessive — and even give Trump and his team fuel to argue he was being unfairly targeted.

"Trump enjoys being the victim in all this, and that's what he's going to lean into," Joshua Ritter, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor and partner with El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers, told Insider. "It begins to look like you're piling on when you charge it this way."

Ritter said there was nothing improper or illegal about charging Trump on each individual document, but that it's not a universally common practice. For instance, he compared it to someone breaking into and robbing a safe, in which case the suspect would typically be charged with burglary, rather than being charged on each individual piece of jewelry that was stolen.

The 34 charges may not impact how the case is viewed in the criminal court, Ritter said, "but in the way it plays out in the court of public opinion, it's probably going to work to his benefit — when you realize this isn't 34 independent criminal acts, but 34 steps towards the same criminal act."

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, also told Insider the 34 counts appeared to be inflated, adding: "We know Trump is going to do everything he can to take advantage of this politically — he feels Republicans on Capitol Hill see this as a win for them. They're going to say everything they can to make this out to be a witch hunt conducted by unruly prosecutors."

Ambrosio Rodriguez, a former prosecutor in the Riverside County district attorney's office in Southern California, also expressed concerns about the case, telling Insider that Bragg "should have taken into account the precedent that this sets and whether or not this particular set of facts was worth it."

The former prosecutors also said that in a case like this that was so politically charged and unprecedented, Bragg's indictment should've been a slam-dunk.

"When you are about to make history you would expect you would have something rock solid. This is not anywhere near rock solid," Ritter said.

Trump was leaning into his victimhood even before Tuesday's arraignment, sending a fundraising email with the subject line: "My last email before my arrest." During a speech from Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night, Trump called the charges "a persecution, not an investigation" and said: "The only crime that I've committed is to fiercely defend our nation."

He struck a similar chord in a fundraising email that followed: "The more they try to frame me, slander me, and destroy me, the stronger my resolve to complete our mission." And on Wednesday, he claimed the indictment was actually paying off for him.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Tuesday was "an unbelievable experience, perhaps the Best Day in History for somebody who had just suffered Unjustifiable Indictment!" and added that $10 million had flowed into his campaign coffers because of it.

Even some of Trump's critics saw the indictment as a win for his victimhood narrative.

"You've got to work hard to make President Trump a martyr. Congratulations to Manhattan DA , Alvin Bragg, who has managed to do just that," Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who Trump sought to oust last year, wrote on Twitter. "This clearly political prosecution sets a dangerous precedent."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×