Former U.S President, Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.
The exact nature of the charges is unclear because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
The case centers on well-chronicled allegations from a period in 2016 when Trump’s celebrity past collided with his political ambitions. For months, prosecutors scrutinized money paid to porn actor, Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, whom Trump feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him.
The indictment is the first against a former U.S. President.
Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg disclosed that he is coordinating with Trump’s office for his surrender and court appearance. Trump is due to appear in court on next week Tuesday, April 4, 2023, for his arraignment, during which he will be asked to enter a plea.
Trump himself raised anticipation that he would be indicted soon, issuing a statement earlier this month in which he predicted an imminent arrest and called for protests.
Trump did not repeat that call in a fresh statement on Thursday, March 30, 2023, but the New York Police Department told its 36,000 officers to be fully mobilized and ready to respond to any potential protests or unrest.
The key witness in the case, Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, told reporters that the indictment “will speak for itself“
Trump Supporters Rage Against Indictment
Members of the staunchly conservative and pro-Trump “Freedom Caucus” group of politicians have reacted furiously to news of Donald Trump’s indictment.
On Twitter, Matt Gaetz; one of Trump’s most vocal allies in the House of Representatives, claimed that Trump “always fought” for and put the American people “above corrupt interests”.
Similarly, Colorado Republican, Lauren Boebert tweeted that the alleged “weaponisation” of the justice system “cannot stand”.
Josh Hawley, a Missouri Representative, claimed that the indictment is about “power” rather than the law.
The former President’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, also accused Democrats of using the indictment in a bid to “interfere” in the 2024 election. “The only solution is to shove it down their throats and put him back in the White House,” he said.
Trump announced last November that he is running for President once again.
The Indictment Amounts To “Political Persecution”
Former President, Donald Trump said that the indictment amounts to “political persecution” and “election interference at the highest level of history”.
“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘get trump’, but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference.”
Donald Trump
“Never before in our nation’s history has this been done,” he added.
Also, Trump called Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg a “disgrace” and claimed that Bragg was “doing Joe Biden’s dirty work”.
Speaking to a news agency by phone, Trump accused the prosecutors of “trying to impact an election.”
In a statement confirming the charges, Defense Lawyers; Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said that Trump “did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”
Additionally, Senator Lindsey Graham called the indictment “a shocking and dangerous day for rule of law in America.”
Democrats say the indictment proves that no one is above the law.
