Trump laments missing Melania’s birthday for hush money trial: ‘It would be nice to be with her’

(The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump is sending a long-distance birthday message to his wife, Melania, straight from the New York City courthouse where he’s on trial in his hush money case.

“I want to start by wishing my wife, Melania, a very happy birthday,” Trump said in brief remarks to the press on Friday outside the lower Manhattan courthouse.

The former first lady turned 54 on Friday.

“It would be nice to be with her,” Trump said before entering court for the fourth day of proceedings, the first criminal trial of a former American president.

“But I’m in a courthouse for a rigged trial. It’s a rigged trial — terrible,” Trump, who’s repeatedly claimed without evidence that the judge in the case is corrupt, told reporters.

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The 45^th commander-in-chief faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements for his former fixer, Michael Cohen, in order to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 just ahead of the 2016 presidential election to stay quiet about an alleged sexual encounter years earlier with Trump. The ex-president has denied all charges.

“I do have to begin by wishing Melania a happy birthday,” Trump repeated on Friday. The pair married in 2005.

“She’s in Florida,” he said of his wife, who has not joined him at the courthouse during any of the hush money trial.

“I’ll be going there this evening after this case finishes up,” Trump said, adding, “This horrible, unconstitutional case.”

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