A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. The exact charges have not been revealed yet, but the former president is expected to be present for his arraignment on Tuesday in New York.
This is the first time in history that a former U.S. president is facing criminal charges. This unprecedented move will make big waves in conjunction with the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, where Trump is leading the polls.
Donald Trump responded on his social media site, Truth Social, by attacking Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, and calling the indictment a "political prosecution." The former president also claimed that he would never get a fair trial in New York.
On the day of his arraignment on Tuesday, Mr. Trump will be fingerprinted, photographed, and processed when he arrives at the courthouse. His former lawyer and fixer,Michael Cohen,told the media outlet CNN that this is Trump's biggest fear—that he will have a felony charge in front of his name.
However, Republican leaders across the country have swiftly denounced the indictment decision. The Republican Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, vowed that the house will "hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account." Furthermore, Republican senator and long-term Trump ally Lindsey Graham called the decision "a shocking and dangerous day for the rule of law in America.''
In addition, Ron DeSantis, Trump's main rival for the 2024 presidential election nominations, called the indictment "un-American" and relayed that his state will not assist with any extradition request from New York relating to the case.
The Trump campaign released a fundraising plea, calling it "the darkest chapter in American history" and accusing Democrats of using the justice system to target their political opponents. Some Trump supporters also showed up on the highway near Mar-a-Lago with posters and banners right after the grand jury verdict announcement.
One supporter, while speaking to the news outlet Reuters, claimed that the indictment decision is going to give Trump the push to win the presidency back.
On the other hand, Democrats across the nation expressed that if the former president has broken the law, then he should be punished and face charges like any other American citizen. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added: "There should be no outside political influence, intimidation, or interference in the case. I encourage both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law." Stormy Daniels tweeted to celebrate the news, saying, "I have so many messages coming in that I can’t respond... also don’t want to spill my champagne."
According to a memo sent out by the New York Police Department, all officers are required to report for duty on Tuesday and be ready for mobilization at all times. The memo instructed officers to be aware of "unusual disorder" duties.
The grand jury indictment is not the only legal woe that the former president is facing. Along with his interference with the election and encouragement of the attack on Congress on January 6, efforts to have Georgia's 2020 election results overturned, the retention of classified documents, business dealings, and a defamation lawsuit resulting from a rape accusation by author E. Jean Carroll—which Trump denies—put him in danger.
Trump's attorneys are expected to ask for delays in the investigation and trial.
Edited by - Adedamola Aregbesola
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