In a day of personal and political commitments, former President Donald Trump is set to attend his son Barron's graduation ceremony and deliver a keynote address at the Minnesota Republican Party's annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner on May 17. This comes after Judge Merchan, presiding over Trump's ongoing trial related to the Stormy Daniels hush money case, confirmed that the court would not sit on that day.
Trump, who is facing 34 felony charges including falsifying business records, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges are tied to allegations that he arranged the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently denied Daniels' claim of an affair in 2006.
The former president had previously expressed concern on his Truth Social website that the trial might force him to miss his son's graduation. However, with the court's decision to not sit on May 17, Trump's attendance at both the graduation and the Minnesota GOP event seems feasible. The graduation ceremony is expected to start in the midmorning, and given Trump's ownership of a private jet, he may be able to attend both events.
The Minnesota GOP event, co-hosted by Trump and House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, will take place at St. Paul's RiverCentre. "We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota to headline our Lincoln Reagan dinner," commented Minnesota GOP chair David Hann.
However, Trump's planned appearance at the Minnesota event has drawn criticism from Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic—Farmer—Labor Party. "Minnesota voters have repeatedly rejected Donald Trump and his efforts to ban abortion, take away their health insurance, and attack our democracy," Martin said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Chris LaCivita, an adviser to the 2024 Trump campaign, expressed optimism about the Republican candidate's chances in the traditionally Democratic state of Minnesota.
In the ongoing trial, Stormy Daniels took the stand on Tuesday, recounting explicit details of her alleged encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump, who was present in the courtroom, maintained a sour expression throughout her testimony.
As the trial proceeds, Trump's defense lawyers have expressed frustration over Daniels' detailed account of the encounter, which went beyond the claim of a sexual encounter. This testimony came after the judge had explicitly urged the prosecutor not to delve into excessive details in front of the jury.
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