Donald Trump has become the first former President in US history to be arrested and charged. The indictment, released Tuesday in a New York court, alleges that the Republican falsified business records in 34 counts. The 76-year-old pleaded not guilty. The charges are related to a hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
The court hearing lasted about an hour. Around 3:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. CEST), Trump left the courthouse, got into a black car and drove away. He did not answer questions from the press. Judge Juan Merchan set the next court date for December 4th, the main hearing could begin as early as January and thus coincide with the start of the US presidential primaries. Trump wants to try a comeback as US President in the 2024 election.
Negative information withheld
Trump was expected to address supporters upon his return to his Florida estate. Prosecutor Alvin Bragg said after the appointment that Trump wanted to compromise the integrity of the 2016 presidential election with the payments. The hush money payments are said to have served to keep voters from negative information about himself. Prosecutors also submitted some recent Trump social media posts to the court to show that the ex-president was guilty of intimidation.
Trump’s lawyers, on the other hand, described the indictment as “sad”. With its opening, “the rule of law died in this country”. Judge Merchan said he wanted to deal with the case “as soon as possible”. He called on both parties to exercise restraint. They should contain statements “that could cause violence or unrest”.
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Donald Trump and his many legal problems
No live reporting
The court date took place without live television coverage at the request of the defense. Only a few photographers were able to take photos at the beginning of the appointment, but had to leave the room after just a few minutes. According to media reports, a police photo was taken of Trump, and his fingerprints were taken as is usual with the accused. On the way to the courthouse, Trump described his upcoming arrest as “SURREAL”. “WOW they are going to ARREST me I can’t believe this is happening in America,” he wrote on his online platform Truth Social. Police photos were to be taken of Trump and his fingerprints taken while he was in custody.
The hush money payment to Stormy Daniels itself is not a criminal offense under US law. Rather, the process revolves around the question of whether the money was incorrectly accounted for and thus violated the law. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Trump of committing “felonies” – crimes – which US law defines as a possible prison sentence of one year or more, according to the indictment. This is in contrast to “misdemeanors”, which is roughly equivalent to an offence. Overall, the threat of punishment against Trump in the 34 counts adds up to 136 years, but this is only a theoretical possibility. There is a maximum penalty of four years for forgery.
Large contingent of police
The building was secured with a large contingent of police officers. Dozens of supporters had gathered hours earlier in the immediate vicinity of the Manhattan courthouse. They assessed the charges as purely politically motivated. At the same time, Trump opponents also gathered in front of the court and shouted: “Lock him up.” Both sides were separated by police cordons. New York had tightened security significantly because of feared riots.
The supporters of the right-wing populist waved Trump flags and held up signs that said something like “witch hunt”. Trump is “completely innocent,” said a supporter. The Republican exposes “all the corruption” in the country. Another woman said “Communist tactics” were being used against Trump. “America will never put up with that.”
Biden emphasizes calmly
Trump’s successor Joe Biden left the court date commented on calmly. The charges against Trump are “not something he focuses on,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said at Tuesday’s daily news briefing when asked if Biden was following Trump’s events in New York. If Biden has time, he will certainly get at least some of the news, since it is reported on many channels, said Jean-Pierre. Otherwise, however, the President is concentrating on the American people, just as he does every day. In addition, she did not want to comment on the case because it was an ongoing process.
Trump himself wrote in an email earlier this morning: “Today (Tuesday) is the day a ruling political party ARRESTS its leading opponent because he has committed NO CRIME.” Shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. CEST) he then left his domicile in Trump Tower and got into a car that took him to the courthouse in the southern part of Manhattan Island. He got there around 1:30 p.m.
The 76-year-old traveled to New York from his private property Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Monday evening to attend the appointment. He spent Tuesday night in Trump Tower.
support from Hungary
Trump also received support from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. “Keep fighting, Mr. President! We are with you,” Orbán wrote on Twitter, posting a photo together. Commenting on Orbán’s post on Tuesday, US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman quoted Orbán’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó earlier: “We show our respect by not interfering in other countries’ domestic politics, by not expressing our opinion on them or by don’t try to influence the opinions of others.”
