Trump is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges. The Manhattan district attorney’s office announced charges Thursday night against the Republican, who is running for president again in the November 2024 election.
The background: Shortly before his election as president in 2016, Trump paid hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels. She claimed she had sex with him. Trump denies an affair, but not that money was flowing. The payment may violate campaign finance rules.
Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina again dismissed the allegations this weekend. “It was a personal issue, not a campaign issue,” Tacopina told CNN on Sunday. Also, there is no evidence of an alleged forgery of business documents. The indictment has so far been kept secret – the exact allegations and details are therefore still unclear and will not become public until the indictment is read.
According to various US media, the appointment for this is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. local time (8:15 p.m. CET) at the Manhattan courthouse. Trump must travel to New York for the trial. He would then be held briefly to allow fingerprints and police photos to be taken. In these situations, the suspects are often handcuffed – whether this will happen in Trump’s case is highly questionable. It is also considered certain that Trump can return home afterwards.
Trump, of course, plans to do just that: his team announced on Sunday that the ex-president would deliver a speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday night at 8:15 p.m. local time (German time 2:15 a.m. CEST on Wednesday night). .
In recent days, there has been speculation whether Trump could use the unprecedented court appearance in New York to stage himself and paint himself as a victim or martyr. Trump regards the allegations as “political persecution and electoral interference”. With a performance at his own estate in Florida after the proceedings in New York, Trump is probably trying to give a sign of strength.
His campaign team stressed in recent days that more than $4 million in campaign donations had already been collected in the first 24 hours after the indictment was announced. Trump’s polls only went up as a result. Trump has used other investigations in the past to mobilize his base.
The New York Young Republicans Club has called for a demonstration on Tuesday in a park near the courthouse. Radical Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to appear there. The ardent Trump supporter wrote on Twitter: “We must protest the unconstitutional witch hunt!” She is on the extreme right in the party, spreads conspiracy theories and regularly campaigns against minorities.
Impeach Biden.
He has given us all the reasons and the family’s bank details and more give us receipts.
But now that the gloves are off…
Prosecute all crimes.
Enough of the witch hunt nonsense.
— Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) March 30, 2023
Trump had also called on his supporters to protest before the indictment was announced. His call evoked grim memories of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump then admonished supporters who then violently entered the parliament building in the capital Washington.
There are now fears that the impeachment of Trump in New York could spark new violent marches. The unprecedented trial is testing democracy in the United States.
In New York, authorities have been increasing security for days. Barriers are being erected in front of the courthouse in southern Manhattan. Plainclothes police officers in New York are required to wear their duty uniforms for days in order to increase the police’s visible presence. So far, there have only been isolated protests in court and in front of Trump’s Manhattan skyscraper, Trump Tower.
Several Republicans, even Trump’s internal party rivals, expressed outrage at the charge, calling the move outrageous. However, a party member openly opposed Trump: The Republican ex-Governor of the state of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, announced his own presidential candidacy in an interview with broadcaster ABC on Sunday and at the same time called on Trump to withdraw from the race because of the impeachment .
The process is a distraction and Trump should focus on that instead of continuing his presidential bid, Hutchinson said.
At best, a trial and possible conviction could affect Trump’s plans for a new presidential candidacy from a political point of view. In purely legal terms, Trump could also theoretically stand as a convicted criminal in the 2024 election, as legal experts point out.
The further legal procedure can take a long time. Before a trial, there is a series of hearings and the opportunity to make all kinds of requests. Trump’s lawyers will likely try to delay the trials and crack a trial. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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