Trump arraigned, faces 34 felony charges connected to porn star hush money payment

Donald Trump, the most anti-LGBTQ president of all time, was arraigned in a New York courthouse today and now faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records for hush money payments that allegedly occurred during the end of the 2016 presidential campaign.

The payments went to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, two women whom he allegedly had extramarital affairs with, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have proof about a child Trump had out of wedlock, the unsealed indictment said. Trump pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and has denied the alleged affairs with the women.

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Donald Trump’s indictment ties Republicans closer to him than ever

Republicans have no choice but to rush to the defense of the man that they just want to go away.

Judge Juan Merchan did not issue a gag order to stop Trump from publicly discussing the case, but he warned Trump not to issue any threats or incitements of violence via social media during the soon-coming legal proceedings.

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While Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg now has 35 days to provide all relevant documents and evidence to Trump’s defense team, it’s likely that Trump will try to delay future court proceedings to stretch into the 2024 presidential election season, allowing him to fundraise while portraying himself as a political martyr to vengeful Democrats.

The White House has said that it has no comment on the legal proceedings. However, officials connected to the White House, New York City, and Florida have all announced enhanced security measures as protection against any violent protests connected to Trump’s arraignment. Trump is expected to give a speech tonight at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

This morning, several Republican lawmakers appeared in New York to support Trump, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who is under a House ethics investigation for possible campaign finance violations. Santos has accused Democrats of “weaponizing the justice system to target [Trump as] a political rival.” Trump repeatedly threatened to jail his 2016 political opponent, then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Greene’s protest occurred at the Collect Pond Park in Lower Manhattan, near the New York district attorney’s office. Her protest gained a few dozen supporters who “appeared to be outnumbered by media,” Vox reported. While speaking to reporters, she compared Trump to Jesus as well as to anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela. She then quickly fled the scene.

Greene, Trump, and Trump’s supporters have said that the investigation and charges against him are baseless and politically motivated. Greene and Trump have said that the indictment against him is proof that the U.S. has turned into a “Communist” and “third world” country. Many contemporary capitalist democracies have jailed or prosecuted their former leaders after leaving office.

Though Trump was fingerprinted before his arraignment, no mug shot was taken, nor was he handcuffed, The New Civil Rights Movement reported. If Trump issues any threats during future legal proceedings, it could result in additional legal charges.

In a Truth Social post near the end of March, Trump said that criminal charges against him would likely result in “death and destruction,” a comment that was widely interpreted as a threat and a command for his followers to commit violence on his behalf. Prosecutors mentioned this during today’s arraignment and asked for a protective order to hide the identities of witnesses and jurors from the public, NBC News reported.

The New York charges may possibly become moot if Trump is re-elected to the presidency in 19 months. However, more indictments may be coming as Trump is facing three other criminal investigations.

The investigations include a federal probe into Trump’s storing of classified government documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida; U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s investigation into whether Trump unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election by inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol; and a Georgia investigation into whether Trump illegally tried to change the state’s 2020 election results by telling its top election official “to find 11,780 votes” to help him win.