Donald Trump vehemently attacked both the judge and the prosecutor hearing his criminal case, a return to his usual brash air after he appeared in court with a cold face to plead not guilty to the historic charges.
In a lengthy address to supporters at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, the former president said he was the victim of a political witch hunt and that the 34 allegations against him were a farce.
Repeating his usual list of complaints, he not only attacked the New York investigation, but also claimed that he was the victim of an “assault” on the investigation. “I never thought something like this could happen in America,” he said.
“The only crime I have committed is the fearless defense of our people from those who want to destroy them.” After the judge warned him to avoid comments or language that could provoke violence, he immediately accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of suing him, even though he knew “there was no case.”
He filed charges against the judge overseeing the case, Judge Juan Mercan, arguing that the charges amounted to “massive electoral interference” by the “radical left”.
The former president’s speech to supporters lasted a staggering 36 hours, during which he flew to New York, spent the night in the Trump Towers, then went to court, where he was arrested and fingerprinted before being taken to the courtroom where he was given opportunity to enter. request.
The allegations involve allegedly falsifying payments he made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his successful 2016 White House campaign. Trump, dressed in his signature navy blue suit, white shirt and red tie, told the judge, “Not guilty.”
The appearance of the former president in court and watching live broadcasts of his convoys, passing both in New York and returning to Florida, caused a stir across the country. No other current or former US president has been charged with a felony, and a depressed Trump returned home with this new note to his name. His court appearance also shocked the 2024 presidential campaign.
His Republican rivals, such as Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, were compelled by events to back Trump and attack prosecutors so they wouldn’t piss off GOP loyalists loyal to the 45th president.
But now that Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant, those same rivals are likely to sense the political blood in the water and use the events of the next few days to suggest that it is time for the country and the party to make a younger “transition to power.” go. fresh candidate carrying no such baggage.
The same probably applies to Joe Biden. The Democratic president has gone to great lengths to avoid any comment on the New York allegations, allowing him to insulate himself from Mr. Trump’s claims that the allegations are simply portraying themselves as superior.
However, Mr. Trump is the subject of several other investigations: one in Georgia for election interference, two federal investigations, one for his alleged role in the chaos and violence of January 6, 2021, and another for dealing with classified documents.
While the conviction does not legally bar Mr. Trump from running for president or even running for a second term as president if he is the Republican nominee in the 2024 election, and polls before his court appearance show that the clear leader is forcing Mr. Biden want to present himself as a clear, viable alternative without any criminal charges.
After Mr. Trump appeared in court, Manhattan District Attorney Mr. Bragg defended his decision to press charges. “It is a crime under New York State law to falsify business records with the intent to deceive and cover up another crime. That’s what this case is about: 34 false claims made to cover up other crimes. These are crimes in the state of New York,” he said at a press conference. “Whoever you are, we cannot and will not normalize serious criminal behavior.”
On his way back to Florida in his private jet, Mr Trump attacked the trial and insulted Ms Daniels, writing on social media: “Alvin Bragg shut down New York, brought in 38,000 NYPD officers and is estimated to have $200,000,000 in New York. spend the funds on a perfectly legal $130,000 non-disclosure agreement,” he wrote on his Pravda social media account. He also spoke to supporters on the phone during a call organized by religious leaders. “As you know, we “We’re doing a mock investigation. This is it. From the radical left, who I think should hate our country,” he said.
In Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s appearance on stage was marked by the performance of “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood, which he used as his campaign song.
Election speeches by the former president can last up to two hours. His words lasted less than 30 minutes on Tuesday evening. He said: “This bogus case was only brought up to disrupt the upcoming 2024 elections and should be closed immediately.”
Source: I News
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.