FACING 34 charges, former United States President Donald Trump remains defiant declaring that the country he once led is “going to hell.”
On Tuesday, Trump was charged in a Manhattan court in New York.
He pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 election which he won.
Trump is the first US president, past or while in office, to face a criminal trial. He served as 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump told supporters, “I never thought anything like this could happen in America, he only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”
The supporters had gathered at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida following his court appearance.
Trump who has decided to run for the next US presidential election said the “fake case” was simply part of a Democratic conspiracy to interfere with the presidential election of 2023.
The proceedings against Trump lasted for nearly an hour before Judge Juan Merchan.
Trump spoke only to respond to the judge’s questions and to state his not guilty plea. He said nothing to reporters as he left court, the BBC reported.
According to US law, spending money to help a presidential campaign but not disclosing it violates federal campaign finance law.
Whistleblower, Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen disclosed that he made the payment at Trump’s direction as the case against him hinges on a hush-money payment of US $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels made before the 2016 presidential election.
Each of the charges laid against Trump carries a maximum of four years in prison.
Prosecutors also released background documents with two other payments being made to the National Enquirer, a US tabloid whose publisher is a long-time ally of Trump.
The media house, they alleged, was paid to silence Trump’s sexual escapades.
