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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 5 april 2023
Trump pleads not guilty to 34 charges; admonished by judge
Continued from Front hattan, the Courthouse,” return to his Palm Beach,
he posted on his Truth So- Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago,
The broad contours of cial platform. “Seems so on Tuesday evening to give
the case have long been SURREAL — WOW, they are remarks. At least 500 promi-
known, but indictment going to ARREST ME. Can’t nent supporters have been
contains new details about believe this is happening in invited, with some of the
a scheme that prosecutors America. MAGA!” most pro-Trump congres-
say involved payoffs to two Afterward, Trump lawyer sional Republicans expect-
women, including a porn Todd Blanche told report- ed to attend.
star, who said they had ex- ers that it was a “sad day A conviction would not pre-
tramarital sexual encoun- for the country.” vent Trump from running for
ters with him years earlier, “You don’t expect this to or winning the presidency
as well as to a Trump Tower happen to somebody who in 2024.
doorman who claimed to was president of the United The investigation is scruti-
have a story about a child States,” he said. nizing six-figure payments
he alleged the former pres- Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press con- Trump, who was im- made to porn actor Stormy
ident had out of of wed- ference after the arraignment of former president Donald Trump peached twice by the U.S. Daniels and former Playboy
lock. in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. House but was never con- model Karen McDougal.
The arraignment, though Associated Press victed in the U.S. Senate, is Both say they had sexual
largely procedural in na- about an hour later, also the dour demands of the the first former president to encounters with the mar-
ture, amounts to a remark- without commenting. All American criminal justice face criminal charges. The ried Trump years before he
able reckoning for Trump told, the typically verbose system while projecting nation’s 45th commander got into politics. Trump de-
after years of investigations Trump spoke only about 10 an aura of defiance and in chief was escorted from nies having sexual liaisons
into his personal, business words during the entire pro- victimhood at celebratory Trump Tower to the court- with either woman and has
and political dealings. The ceeding. campaign events. house by the Secret Ser- denied any wrongdoing in-
case is unfolding against Before the arraignment, Wearing his signature dark vice. volving payments.
the backdrop not only he narrated his feelings in suit and red tie, Trump “He is strong and ready to The arraignment unfolded
of his third campaign for real time, describing the turned and waved to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Ta- against the backdrop of
the White House but also experience as “SURREAL” crowds outside the building copina told The Associated heavy security in New York,
against other investigations as he traveled from Trump before heading inside to Press. Earlier, Tacopina said coming more than two
in Washington and Atlanta Tower to lower Manhattan be fingerprinted and pro- in a TV interview that the years after Trump support-
that might yet produce to face a judge. cessed. He arrived at court former president wouldn’t ers stormed the U.S. Capitol
even more charges. The day’s schedule, with its in an eight-car motorcade plead guilty to lesser charg- in a failed bid to halt the
Trump, his lips pursed in striking blend of legal and from Trump Tower, commu- es, even if it might resolve congressional certification
apparent anger, entered political events, represents nicating in real time his an- the case. He also said he of Democrat Joe Biden’s
the courtroom shortly be- the new split-screen reality ger at the process. didn’t think the case would win.
fore 2:30 p.m. He left court for Trump as he submits to “Heading to Lower Man- make it to a jury. Trump was defiant ahead
New York police said they of his arraignment. He used
were ready for large pro- his social media network
tests by Trump supporters, to complain that he was
who share the Republican going to court in a heavily
former president’s belief Democratic area, declar-
that the New York grand ing, “KANGAROO COURT”
jury indictment and three and “THIS IS NOT WHAT
additional pending investi- AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED
gations are politically mo- TO BE!” He and his cam-
tivated and intended to paign have repeatedly
weaken his bid to retake assailed Bragg and even
the White House in 2024. trained scrutiny on mem-
Journalists often outnum- bers of Bragg’s family.
bered protesters, though. Despite that, the scenes
Trump, a former reality TV around Trump Tower and
star, has been hyping that the courthouse where
narrative to his political ad- Trump will stand before a
vantage, saying he raised judge did not feature ma-
more than $8 million in the jor unrest. Police tried to
days since the indictment keep apart protesters sup-
on claims of a “witch hunt.” porting the former presi-
His campaign released a dent and those opposing
fundraising request titled him by confining them to
“My last email before ar- separate sides of a park
rest” and he has repeat- near the courthouse using
edly assailed Manhat- metal barricades.
tan District Attorney Alvin Georgia Republican Rep.
Bragg, egged on support- Marjorie Taylor Greene,
ers to protest and claimed one of Trump’s staunch-
without evidence that the est supporters in Congress,
judge presiding over the staged a brief rally at the
case “hates me” — some- park, but the scene was so
thing his own lawyer has chaotic that it was hard to
said is not true. hear her over the crush of
Trump was scheduled to reporters and protesters.q