Trump threatened with a lawsuit, the American presidential election sinks into the unknown

MISE À DAY

The official, high-profile indictment of Donald Trump on Wednesday heightens uncertainty in the race for the 2024 White House, with the Republican leader now facing criminal trial and the current incumbent, Joe Biden, who has not confirmed his candidacy. 

Before a judge in New York, Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to having orchestrated payments to cover up embarrassing affairs for him before the 2016 presidential election.

Appeared combative but with a gloomy look that did not did not leave on this historic day, the Republican, back in his luxurious residence in Florida, finally called his indictment, detailed in 34 counts, an “insult to the nation”.

“The only crime I have committed is to courageously defend our nation against those who seek to destroy it,” assured the former business magnate, in front of activists wearing red caps and other classic accessories of his meetings. campaign.

A candidate for the White House for the third time, Donald Trump left free without judicial review from the Manhattan court and will now do everything to avoid the ordeal of a trial which could take place as soon as January 2024, just before the Republican primary.

Invectives

He spent about two hours at this lower Manhattan courthouse, where he traveled from Trump Tower near Central Park in a tightly-secured convoy that was flown by US media helicopters.

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In court, activists and opponents of Donald Trump exchanged insults in a tense atmosphere. The former president had to submit to the ritual imposed on any defendant: state his name, age and profession, take a fingerprint. On the other hand, he escaped the humiliating taking of the mugshot.

The billionaire claims his innocence and claims to be the victim of a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the Democrats of President Joe Biden, who would have “robbed” him of his victory in the 2020 presidential election.

For his part, the Democrat let it be known that this appearance was “not a priority” for him, according to the door- word of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre.

In the crowded courtroom, the New York businessman, who made his fortune in real estate and television, pleaded very distinctly “not guilty”, according to an AFP journalist present.

“Sad” indictment

The first president in the history of the United States to suffer such a fate, Donald Trump is accused of having “orchestrated” a series of payments to cover up three embarrassing cases before the November 2016 election.

In particular by paying 130,000 dollars to a star of pornographic films, Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair in 2006 that had to be kept quiet – an affair that the principal concerned firmly denies.

Donald Trump n “stopped lying”, then thundered Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg by denouncing, after five years of investigation by his services, the “serious criminal conduct” of the New York businessman. “The law is the same for everyone”, insisted during a press conference this magistrate, elected from the Democratic Party.

Denouncing a “sad” and “ready-made” indictment, one of the lawyers for the former head of state, Todd Blanche, promised to fight.

Back on his plane, Donald Trump repeated on his Truth Social network that he there was “no” legal case.

Later in Florida, in the large reception room of his Mar-a-Lago residence, the same one where he had announced his news candidacy for the White House, last November 15, he launched: “I would never have imagined this possible in America”.