Donald Trump Was Arrested On 34 Criminal Charges & Here's What You Won't Get To See
He's officially been booked.
Donald Trump.
Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to officially plead not guilty to a crime on Tuesday, when he appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to face dozens of fraud and conspiracy charges.
Trump appeared in court on Tuesday to face 34 felony counts of falsifying businesses records around hush-money payments to a porn star, after surrendering to authorities for his arrest on Tuesday afternoon.
"Not guilty," he said in court, per Reuters.
He faces a maximum sentence of 136 years in prison if convicted, though Reuters reports that any actual sentence would likely be much shorter. He has yet to face trial.
\u201cThe first photo of Trump as a criminal defendant inside the courtroom. (AP/Seth Wenig)\u201d— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1680633905
The New York Times reports that he was fingerprinted but not handcuffed or photographed, meaning there will be no chance to see a much-anticipated mugshot of him.
However, that didn't stop the Trump campaign from immediately pushing a fake mugshot to raise money for his 2024 presidential bid.
"Seems so SURREAL," Trump's account posted on Truth Social as he made his way to the courthouse. "WOW, they are going to ARREST ME."
\u201cDonald Trump Puts Fist in The Air and Waves Heading Into Manhattan Court\n\nHe just posted the following words on Truth Social:\n\n\u201cHeading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems SO SURREAL - WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can't believe this is happening in America. MAGA!\u201d\u201d— Matt Wallace (@Matt Wallace) 1680630271
Trump is accused of ordering a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election in order to keep her quiet about an affair he allegedly had with her. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, has already been convicted and imprisoned for his role in the case, and Cohen has said that he made the payment at Trump’s request.
The Manhattan DA’s case revolves around the paperwork from that payment and whether it was an illegal donation to Trump's election campaign.
Trump has denied all of the allegations and declared the case a “witch hunt” by “radical left Democrats.” He’s used the same terms to defend himself against several other investigations over the years.
The ex-president made the trip from his Florida home to New York for his court appearance on Tuesday, and there were huge crowds of his supporters and critics outside Trump Tower all day.
Trump blasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (a Democrat) in his comments before the court appearance. He also alleged on his Truth Social platform that Manhattan is an "unfair" venue for a trial, and that the judge is "highly partisan."
Trump is now the first former president to face criminal charges, and he could face more in the days ahead.
In addition to the Manhattan case, he’s also being investigated for alleged election interference in Georgia, and for mishandling classified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate last year.
A bipartisan House committee has also recommended that Trump be charged for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, although no charges have been filed to date.
Trump is running to be the Republican nominee for president again in 2024, and he's argued that all of these cases are simply attempts to take him down.
He's also denied any wrongdoing.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.