Fox News host Jesse Watters voiced concern for former President Donald Trump’s safety if Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against him goes to trial, claiming that publicizing court dates is “dangerous” for Trump and amounts to “setting him up.”
Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Manhattan Criminal Court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan set the next court date for Dec. 4.
“You’re putting Donald Trump’s life in danger. You’re setting him up, and advertising [to] the entire world [that] the former president of the United States, the Republican nominee for the presidency, is going to be at this location, at this time, on this date,” Watters said on The Five, implying that Trump’s case should be handled differently.
“And you’ve got towers, and you’ve got windows. You think that’s good for this country, to put a man like that in a certain location?” Watters asked. “Then what if it goes to trial? He has to be there every day. You think the Secret Service wants that? That is dangerous. And [Bragg] is playing a dangerous game.”
Trump’s arrival at and departure from the courthouse Tuesday—five days after he was indicted—occurred with no major security incidents. Nearby gatherings of pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters were largely circus-like, with some verbal skirmishes.
Trump may find himself another New York City courtroom later this month for a separate matter. A civil lawsuit brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll, who alleges that Trump raped her in the 1990s and then lied about it, is set to head to trial April 25, though it’s unclear if Trump will testify.