NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump appeared in a Manhattan court on Tuesday to plead not guilty to criminal charges in a case that threatens to upend the 2024 presidential race.
Trump is the first former or sitting American president to be criminally indicted, a historical development that has driven the United States (US) into uncharted political waters.
Trump, 76, arrived at the courthouse amid tight security and a global media frenzy to learn at his arraignment precisely what criminal charges he faces due to hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election that brought him to the presidency.
The twice-impeached Republican leader claims he is the victim of “political persecution,” however, is also using the court case to energize his political support and raise millions of dollars for his election bid to reclaim the White House in 2024.
Donald Trump plans to speak to reporters as he walks through the hallways toward the court, one of his lawyers told CNN News. “THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS HAVE CRIMINALIZED THE JUSTICE SYSTEM,” Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social before the court hearing, branding the legal proceedings a “kangaroo court.”
Donald Trump is expected to depart from his Fifth Avenue skyscraper in the late morning to travel six miles (10 kilometers) to a court complex, where he will surrender to authorities.
Thousands of police officers are lining the streets while helicopters buzz overhead ahead of the live broadcast of his journey on US networks. However, video cameras will not be permitted inside the courtroom.
Outside the courthouse, a few dozen Trump supporters and some anti-Trump demonstrators have gathered, though they are outnumbered by media personnel. Trump is likely to undergo standard booking procedures, including fingerprinting and potentially being photographed, which could result in a famous mugshot.
Donald Trump to plead not guilty
According to Trump’s lawyers, he will deny all charges during the court hearing, scheduled to begin at 2:15 pm (1815 GMT). The arraignment is expected to last around 15 minutes, during which approximately 30 counts are expected to be unsealed.
Afterward, Trump is scheduled to return straight to Florida, where he intends to deliver an evening speech.
Last week, a grand jury indicted Trump in a case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat. The charges relate to the investigation of a $130,000 payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels only days before Trump’s election victory.
Trump’s former lawyer and friend, Michael Cohen, who has turned against his ex-boss, claims to have arranged the payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for remaining silent about an affair she says she had with Donald Trump in 2006. Donald Trump, whose third wife, Melania Trump, had given birth at the time, denies the affair.
Legal experts suggest that if the payment was not accounted for properly, it could result in charges for falsifying business records, possibly to cover up a campaign finance violation.
Trump is facing several separate criminal investigations at state and federal levels that could result in further, more severe charges between now and election day. These probes include his efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss in Georgia state, his handling of classified documents, and his involvement in the storming of the US Capitol.
Republicans, including his rival in the party’s presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have rallied mainly around Trump, with DeSantis calling the indictment “un-American.” President Joe Biden is one of the few Democrats holding back over Trump’s indictment, mindful that anything he might say could fuel Donald Trump’s claim of a politically “weaponized” judicial system. When asked on Monday whether he had faith in the legal system, Biden replied, “Yes.”
