Donald Trump arrived in New York on Monday to appear before a Manhattan judge on Tuesday accused of paying to buy the silence of a porn actress during the 2016 election campaign.
The billionaire, the first former US president to testify in court as a criminal defendant, arrived at Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in the early afternoon after a trip from Florida.
The luxurious skyscraper, where the republican should stay overnight, is protected by the policeon high alert in anticipation of possible disruption.
The billionaire, who aspires to reach the White House again in the 2024 elections, wrote in his Truth Social that he was traveling to New York to “Make America Great Again” after declaring himself the victim of “a witch hunt at a time when (his) great country is sinking into hell”.
“Not guilty”
As part of his indictment on Tuesday, he will undergo the standard procedure of fingerprinting and photography, likely resulting in one of the most famous mugshots of the modern era, before hearing from Colombian-born judge Juan Merchán, the charges against him by the prosecution, still confidential.
Trump will plead not guilty according to their lawyers, so the case is moving towards a trial.
Education revolves around $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, to buy her silence for an alleged extramarital affair that took place ten years earlier, something Trump has always denied.
“The corrupt prosecutor has no case,” he said of Alvin Bragg, who charged him. “What you have is a jurisdiction where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to have a fair trial,” referring to the democratic nature of his hometown.
Only a handful of followers screamed “We love Trump, we love Trump!”. Crossing the threshold of the building, the serious-faced billionaire greeted his followers.
Although “there are no credible threats” in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, seconded by top security officials, issued a warning on Monday: “Agitators: Control Yourself”.
Adams specifically mentioned Radical Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, “notorious for spreading misinformation and hate speech,” who called a rally on Tuesday: “While you’re in town, behave yourself,” she urged.
trump intends to give a speech Tuesday night upon his return to Florida.
How is the procedure
The apparition is an established ritual, but there is no timetable for handing over a former president to the judicial authorities.
“Everything is in the air”Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, told CNN Sunday.
A “criminal walk”, in which one defendant is escorted away in handcuffs in front of media cameras, a former president is unlikely to be under the protection of the secret services.
But the attorney anticipates that the prosecution will try to “get every ounce of publicity” out of the case. On Tuesday, “the rule of law will die in the United States,” the lawyer said.
“Hopefully it’s as painless as possible. and as elegant as possible for a situation like this,” he added.
The Daniels case is just one of the investigations that threaten the former president, who he is also being investigated for his possible role in the January 6, 2021 uprising in the United States Capitol, as well as for the management and custody of confidential documents after leaving the White House.
And perhaps most importantly, to lobby officials undo Joe Biden’s victory in 2020with a recorded phone call asking the Secretary of State to “find” enough votes to overturn the result.
Biden, aware that any of his statements could fuel Trump’s complaints that he criticizes the judicial system as politically “instrumentalised”, is one of the few Democrats who is silent on his political rival’s accusation.
Trump’s impeachment has once again highlighted the country’s political divisions. According to a survey conducted by CNN, 60% of Americans approve of impeachmenteven if it rises to 94% in the Democratic field and 62% of independents, while 79% of Republicans are against.
Most Republicans rallied around the former president, including his likely major rival in the party’s presidential primaries, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called the charge “un-American.”
But other party members they showed their concern Faced with the prospect that a president who has survived two congressional impeachment proceedings and faces several investigations will seek the party’s nomination.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who announced Sunday that he was a Republican presidential candidate, openly questioned that strategy and urged Trump to withdraw from the race.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.