China News Network, April 4 (Wang Xinran) On the 4th local time, the world's attention will be focused on Manhattan, New York, United States - Trump, the first former president of the United States to be criminally charged, will be arraigned for a "hush money" case.
"Believe it or not, I'm going to court on the morning of the 4th. But this is not how the United States should be! Before leaving Mar-a-Lago , Trump wrote on his social media.
Whatever happens, it's going to be the day that changes Trump, America.
On November 2022, 11, local time, former US President Trump delivered a speech at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, officially announcing that he will participate in the 15 US presidential election.
"I am innocent"
US media disclosed Trump's itinerary
On the 3rd, Trump arrived on Fifth Avenue in New York City under tight security. Through a police barricade, Trump waved to supporters and entered Trump Tower.
According to the process disclosed by the US media, Trump will be on the 4th local time:
At around 11 a.m., arrive at the New York Superior Courthouse at 100 Central Avenue in Lower Manhattan, New York.
At 2:15 p.m., the summoning begins and lasts 15 to 30 minutes.
Afterwards, return to Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
At 8:15 p.m., a speech was made.
Trump's lawyer, Joe Tachopina, said the grand jury's decision to indict Trump symbolized that "the rule of law in America is dead." He also added that the former president's team of lawyers would "loudly and proudly declare his innocence" and tried to prevent the case from going to trial.
"If Trump hadn't run for president, he wouldn't have been prosecuted," Takpina said. "It also appears to suggest that the prosecution is essentially a political battle and election interference."
This case about Trump starts 7 years ago...
Infographic: Stormy Daniels.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, is suspected of paying $2016,13 in "hush money" to American adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the <> U.S. presidential election to stop him from publicly having an affair with Trump.
In 2018, Cohen said he paid Daniels at Trump's direction, and he was subsequently sentenced to 3 years in prison for tax fraud, bank fraud, and paying "hush money."
Manhattan District Attorney and Democrat Alvin Bragg recently convened a grand jury to focus on whether Trump falsified relevant records.
The exact charges against Trump are unclear, and the details remain secret until a formal arraignment. But according to a number of US media reports, people familiar with the matter said that Trump may face more than 30 charges related to commercial fraud, including at least one felony. Once convicted, Trump faces up to 4 years in prison.
Trump, however, has denied any wrongdoing of his own. He denied he was having an affair with Daniels and insisted that the $13,<> payment was legal and did not come from a campaign trail but was a private contract between the two parties to stop Daniels from making false allegations about extramarital affairs during the election.
Infographic: Former US President Trump.
On March 2023, 3, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump in the "hush money" case, and prosecutors asked Trump to appear in court.
In a statement, Trump called the Manhattan grand jury's decision to indict him "the highest level of witch hunt and election interference in history."
He added: "Democrats are obsessed with 'getting Trump,' they used to lie, lied, stole and now they have done incredible things." Trump said the charges against him were "prosecuting a completely innocent person." ”
The whole of New York is in tension!
Tens of thousands of police officers are on the look
The high-profile former US president plunged the whole of New York into tension.
It is said that the accompanying Secret Service staff alone will reach dozens or even hundreds.
According to sources, on the day of Trump's court appearance on the 4th, New York City plans to close many main roads in Lower Manhattan, and the Central Avenue and Bus Street around the Manhattan Courthouse will be fully controlled, and several other streets will be intermittently closed.
Trump's key ally, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, and the New York Youth Republican Club plan to hold a "peaceful protest" opposite the courthouse on the afternoon of the 4th.
Green posted on social media that he wanted to "protest this unprecedented abuse of the justice system to interfere in elections."
On March 3, local time, New York police patrolled around the courthouse.
Given Trump's agitated remarks on social media and his "bad record" of inciting Capitol riots, law enforcement officials at multiple agencies are preparing for possible protests or riots even before he is determined to be charged.
A spokesman for the New York City Police Department said the department was "on alert" and would be "ready to respond as needed" ahead of Trump's court appearance.
On March 3, the day after a Manhattan grand jury announced the indictment of Trump, the NYPD ordered about 31,3 officers and 6,1 civilian personnel to report in full uniforms to enhance security measures.
In addition, the NYPD, state law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service and the United States Marshals Service have been coordinating efforts to enhance intelligence gathering and mobilization. Police have issued standby orders to approximately 3,5 officers.
Court officials and Secret Service agents have planned routes to get Trump in and out of the courthouse, and New York City police have erected a metal barrier around Trump Tower and blocked roads near the Manhattan Criminal Court.
On the day of Trump's trial, parts of the courthouse will also be closed to reduce foot traffic.
Conviction is not an easy task
Trump will probably be released on bail?
Trump has said that if indicted, he wants to appear in court in handcuffs, turning the scene into a "spectacle."
However, this may not happen.
According to the New York Times, Trump will most likely be released on bail after being arraigned, because the indictment about him does not contain violent felony charges.
In fact, it will not be easy to convict Trump. On the one hand, Trump's team of lawyers may cite Cohen's criminal record to attack his credibility as a witness.
New York prosecutors, on the other hand, have never before combined allegations of falsifying business records with charges of violating state election laws in a case involving a presidential election or any federal campaign. Given that such charges are in uncharted territory for unprecedented times, a judge may dismiss the indictment or reduce the felony charge to a misdemeanor.
Infographic: Trump.
Trump is back in the headlines in the United States as he faces criminal charges. The former president's "popularity" in the 2024 presidential election has not decreased, but increased. It is reported that after Trump was indicted, his campaign team raised more than $48 million in 500 hours, and 1,6 people signed up to volunteer for his campaign.
Stephen, Trump's spokesman, said it was a sign that Americans were tired of the "weaponization" of the justice system. "Poll after poll shows that the political persecution of the Manhattan District Attorney has led to an overwhelming increase in support for Trump," he said. ”
"Hopefully, it will be as painless and elegant a process as possible." Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said.
Whether to "loudly and proudly claim innocence" or continue to be riddled with lawsuits, Trump's fate has undoubtedly reached a critical crossroads. (End)