Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty to All Felony Charges, Speaks Out After Arraignment
Donald Trump has finally been arraigned in New York City following his surrender to the Manhattan DA's Office. Now, he is speaking out from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
Trump stated on Tuesday night upon arriving home in Florida that he "never thought anything like this could happen in America." He added, "The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it."
Trump's critics praise his indictment, with legal experts pointing out that this is how the law should work as it should not exclude anybody from facing justice, even former presidents and election frontrunners.
However, while Trump is trying to project strength as he faces 34 felony charges, the former president has started marketing his indictment to raise funds for his upcoming presidential run. His website is now selling T-shirts with a fake mugshot of him with the words "Not Guilty," which was his plea to those 34 felony charges.
According to CNN, as Trump was making his speech, he was accompanied by the song "Proud to Be an American" while his supporters chanted "USA." In his speech, he once again mentioned his false claims that the 2020 elections were stolen and claimed, "our country is going to hell."
Trump faces campaign finance law violations from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office over his alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before he ran for the presidency in 2016. Trump has maintained he did not do anything wrong, but his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, had already been imprisoned over this very same case while he has not yet suffered any consequences.
Indictment Against Donald Trump Unsealed
As Trump was arraigned, prosecutors unsealed his indictment to reveal that Trump is accused of 34 felonies, all of which he pleaded "not guilty" to.
According to ABC News, sources inside the courtroom described Trump's mood as "determined, resolute and up for the challenge," but added that he was also "angry" leaving court this afternoon.
According to court documents, Trump allegedly "employed a 'catch and kill' scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects." He reportedly "went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws," according to the indictment.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Talks About Donald Trump Indictment
Following the Trump arraignment, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg held a press conference and said that no matter who is charged with a serious crime, that person must still face justice and added, "We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct."
Bragg, who already has a win against Trump with that sweeping legal victory against the Trump Organization last year, stated that Trump repeatedly made these false statements and promised that "evidence will show that he did so to cover up crimes relating to the 2016 election."
According to Politico, Trump has repeatedly attacked Bragg, with his supporters levying death threats against the Manhattan DA. This includes sending a suspicious substance to his office with a threatening letter.
He has also attacked Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, which is something many legal experts are saying is a bad move on the part of the former president.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Donald Trump enters New York City courtroom following arrest processing - CNBC Television
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!
