After his second day in court for the hush-money trial on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump showed up at the upper Manhattan bodega where a worker killed a man in self-defense nearly two years ago.
Trump had been set to meet with the absent worker, Jose Alba, who was charged with second-degree murder for repeatedly stabbing 35-year-old Austin Simon during a fight over a stolen chips bag on July 1, 2020.
Alba, 64, served time at Rikers Island before Judge Alvin Bragg dropped the case and cleared him of the charges.
“The police in New York are great, [but] they have to be able to do their job,” Trump told the crowd.
“It’s Alvin Bragg’s fault. Alvin Bragg does nothing. He goes after guys like Trump, who did nothing wrong.”
“They know there are hundreds of murderers all over the city,” Trump added. “They know who they are, and they don’t pick them up. They go after Trump.”
The Republican presidential nominee then promised to “make a heavy play for New York” if he is elected.
“We’re gonna work with the mayor, we’re gonna work with the governor, Democrats. We have to straighten out New York. If it goes any further out, it’ll never come back.”
