Key Takeaways:
- A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Donald Trump
- The development makes him the first US President to face criminal charges
- Trump and his Republican colleagues have slammed the charges as "political persecution"
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — A grand jury in New York indicted former US President Donald Trump following a fresh investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The development will see Trump face criminal charges over hush payments he allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Republicans have termed the development a “witch hunt,” especially after Trump announced he plans to run again in 2024 for the post of President.
While details of the charges Trump’s faces are still unknown, they will likely become public when he first appears in court next week.
“This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,”
a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
According to details of the case, Trump had an affair with Stormy Daniels in 2006. Ten years later, Michael Cohen, the lawyer of presidential candidate Trump, allegedly paid her $130,000 and asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
By 2006, the former president was already married to his current wife, Melania. Moreover, their youngest son, Barron, was a newborn at the time of the affair. Donald Trump was worried that if news about the affair became public, it would hamper his chance at the elections. Hence, he paid her hush money to buy her silence.
Trump’s indictment has received a mixed response, showing how divided the American public is over his image.
Recommended: Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen visits New York as China warns the US of severe consequences
Donald Trump slams Biden Administration- Republicans join him
Reacting strongly to the grand jury’s decision, Donald Trump slammed the Democratic party. The former president accused authorities of doing everything to arrest him on cooked-up charges.
“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. Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done… I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,”
he said.
His teammates also joined him in slamming the Biden Administration for the indictment. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who will challenge Trump for the GOP race in 2024, also slammed Alvin Brag.
Kevin McCarthy, the House Speaker, cried foul and promised to take action against the District Attorney. He had earlier called Bragg’s actions a “political vengeance.”
“Alvin Bragg… routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account,”
he threatened.
Meanwhile, Congressman Adam Schiff of the Democratic Party accused Trump of “unlawful conduct.” He further celebrated his indictment as “an affirmation of the principle that no one is above the law.”
Donald Trump can still run for president
American politics is a mess. For any US citizen, thinking about elections must be a nightmare. Imagine having to choose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. It isn’t clear which one is worse, but if that is all the choice you have, there is hardly any room to celebrate.
Trump’s presidency was full of controversies. However, trouble didn’t end when he lost the 2020 elections to Biden. His supporters stormed Capitol Hill in an alleged attempt to overturn the results.
Authorities have raided Trump’s properties looking for classified documents he allegedly took from the White House.
Those celebrating the indictment, hoping it will stop Trump from running, are doing it too early. He can (and probably will) still run for the post.
No provision in US law prohibits a candidate found guilty of a crime from running to be the president. Even if jailed, one can still technically serve as president from prison.
While the indictment may have some impact, it might also rally stronger support for him. Many see this as a political prosecution and want to back him out of sympathy.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has announced that he will also seek re-election. So unless something changes, US citizens will again have to choose between the two.
