At around 1:40 p.m. on the 4th (local time), hundreds of reporters, pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters camped in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, USA, all at once turned to the sky. Reporting helicopters appeared in the air from Trump Tower following the caravan of former US President Donald Trump, who was the first US president ever to be prosecuted. Former President Trump arrived at the court like that.
When former President Trump left Trump Tower, where he stayed overnight, he raised his fist to his supporters and showed some composure, but his expression hardened as he entered the courthouse. In his car on his way to court, he posted on social media that he was “feeling surreal.” As a courtesy to the former president, he did not take a mug shot (a criminal identification photo) and was not handcuffed. After taking his fingerprints, he moved to court and sat in the defendant’s seat for the first time in the history of the United States.
During the 50-minute procedural hearing presided over by Judge Juan Merchan, the prosecution revealed 34 serious crime charges. The US media reported that former President Trump listened to the prosecution with a firm expression. In the courtroom photo released by the court that day, the face of former President Trump was also stiff. The US NBC broadcast evaluated it as “a photo that will be published in the American history books”.
According to Reuters, etc., former President Trump said “Not guilty” about the charges, and when Judge Merchan read the defendant’s rights, he said “Yes, thank you”. He said only nine words throughout the hearing, such as answering “I do” to the question, “Do you know that if you engage in sabotage, you can be excluded from the trial?” Judge Merchan did not issue a silence order against former President Trump, but warned, “Be careful not to incite public violence on social media.”
However, after leaving the courthouse, former President Trump said in a car on social media on his way to the airport to go home to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, “There was no surprise at all. If he is a person who knows the law, he will say that he is not subject to prosecution at all (No case).” He continued, “I legally spent $130,000 (on silence), but Bragg (district attorney) would have spent $200 million on the NYPD mobilization budget.”
When he entered his home at Mar-a-Lago at around 8:30 pm on this day, former President Trump looked elated like a triumphant general. “The only crime I ever committed was bravely defending my country from those who would destroy America,” he said in front of hundreds of supporters. He also said, “They (Democratic Party) see that it is difficult to win by voting and try to use the law. America is a mess right now,” he said, calling the indictment “election intervention.”
In particular, he called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted him, a “criminal” for leaking information about the New York grand jury to the media, and criticized Judge Merchan, saying, “The daughter of a judge who hates me works for Vice President Kamala Harris.” . CNN, citing an anonymous aide to former President Trump, said, “Trump is in a rage after a hard day.”
Attorney General Bragg also held a press conference in New York, saying, “In New York, the economic center, document clarity is important, and this is why the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is strict against white-collar crimes.” said.
Outside the criminal court on this day, Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters pointed their fingers at each other, revealing a divided face of the United States. Edward Young (63), who said he left the company and drove 100 miles (about 162 km) to New York, criticized, “Elimination of political enemies through criminal investigations is something only Stalin does.” On the other hand, New Yorker Rafae Badan (55) said, “This is just the beginning. Allegations of tax fraud, election meddling, and the leaking of confidential documents must also be paid.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.