Former United States president Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 criminal charges

Former President Donald Trump of the United States entered a plea of not guilty to 34 criminal charges on Tuesday, April 4. These charges are related to hush money payments of $130,000 made to porn actor Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election, which Trump won. Trump, who is 76 years old, has become the first American president to be arrested on criminal charges, which have already had a significant impact on the ongoing 2024 White House campaign.

Inside a Manhattan courthouse, Trump pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which reportedly include the felony of conspiracy, arising from the hush money paid to Daniels in order to keep quiet about an alleged affair. Last week, Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

During the hearing, Trump appeared emotionless as he waved to a crowd gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday after arriving in a motorcade from his New York residence at Trump Tower. Prior to the historic hearing, Trump posted on his Truth Social app, saying, “Seems so SURREAL – WOW, they are going to ARREST ME.”

Here are the key updates:

1. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated on Tuesday that he will not allow Donald Trump to evade responsibility for lawbreaking, after charging him with multiple felonies related to the hush money payments. Bragg emphasized that these are felony crimes in the state of New York, and regardless of one’s status, serious criminal conduct will not be normalized. Bragg added, “We today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law.”
2. Trump was released from custody without any pre-trial restrictions at the arraignment. Judge Juan Merchan indicated during the hearing that a trial could potentially begin in January 2024, although Trump’s lawyers expressed a preference to push it back to the spring, according to a report by the news agency AFP.
3. Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from three hush-money cases prior to the election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated in a statement, “Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
4. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche vowed to vigorously fight the criminal charges that the former president is facing, describing the indictment as “boilerplate” and expressing determination to fight it aggressively.
5. After pleading not guilty to the criminal charges, the former US president was seen leaving the court and making his way to a waiting motorcade, just over two hours after arriving at the Manhattan court complex for the historic hearing.

Overall, the legal proceedings against Trump have had a significant impact on the ongoing political landscape, with implications for the upcoming 2024 White House campaign.  The case is expected to continue to garner widespread attention as it progresses through the legal system.