Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, marking the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges. The indictment has been filed under seal and will be announced in the coming days. The charges are not publicly known at this time. Trump will likely be arraigned in court early next week, according to his defense attorney, Joe Tacopina. The DA’s office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential election.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office will reach out to Trump’s attorneys to discuss his surrender to face an arraignment. The decision is sure to send shockwaves across the country, pushing the American political system into uncharted waters. Trump released a statement in response to the indictment claiming it was “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.” Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba said in a statement that Trump “is a victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system and history. He will be vindicated.”
The legal action against Trump jolts the 2024 presidential campaign into a new phase where the former president has vowed to keep running in the face of criminal charges. Trump has frequently called the various investigations surrounding him a “witch hunt,” attempting to sway public opinion on them by casting himself as a victim of what he’s claimed are political probes led by Democratic prosecutors. As the indictment reportedly neared, Trump urged his supporters to protest his arrest, echoing his calls to action following the 2020 election as he tried to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden.
Keywords: Donald Trump, Manhattan grand jury, criminal charges, hush money payment scheme, Stormy Daniels, Alvin Bragg, indictment, arraignment, political persecution, American justice system, 2024 presidential campaign, witch hunt, Democratic prosecutors, Joe Biden.