Donald Trump has been charged by Manhattan prosecutors for paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep her secret about their relationship. The tycoon is the first former president to be impeached in American history. The grand jury’s decision is destined to have an unprecedented impact on US politics and affect the race for the 2024 White House, though it won’t stop the tycoon’s race. He has already responded with attacks: “It’s political persecution and interference in elections,” “a witch hunt that will backfire on Biden.”
The grand jury vote came as a surprise as the jury was expected to consider other cases today and then take time off until the end of April. Not even Trump’s staff expected a decision, and neither did the former president, who is weighing his next steps in Mar-a-Lago these hours. The exact charges against him are not yet known, at least not to the public. It is not yet clear what will happen next and when Trump will be summoned: the details must be clarified by the Secret Service with the New York authorities, even if the former president’s lawyer has assured that his client will appear spontaneously and will be subjected to the appropriate procedures , from fingerprints to photos. In that case, he should be spared the humiliation of arrest.
Big Apple police have been on alert for possible demonstrations and protests for days as the former president, citing rhetoric similar to that used in the attack on Congress, has urged his supporters to take to the streets and make their voices heard. And it is a scenario similar to a new January 6th that is most frightening, prompting New York law enforcement to step up security measures and online scrutiny, where some have been chanting “civil war” in defense of Trump for days. “No one is above the law. These charges are just the beginning,” commented Michael Cohen, the tycoon’s former attorney who later became his lead prosecutor. The Republicans are already crying, although they do not know the exact allegations: They speak of an “outrageous” decision. Eric Trump, the former president’s son, defines the charges as an attack on a political rival. It refers to the Democrats and to Alvin Bragg, the first African-American prosecutor in Manhattan. All is quiet in the House of Democrats right now, as is Joe Biden’s White House. The charges against the porn star are just one of the ongoing investigations into Trump, whose legal position could become more complicated as the vote approaches. Open investigations include January 6, election interference in Georgia and secret papers found in Mar-a-Lago.
Support came from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who – referring to the prosecutor – said that “he has done irreparable damage to our country in his attempt to interfere in the presidential election.” Also backed by the former President’s nemesis, Ron DeSantis. “Manipulating the justice system to advance a political agenda upends the rule of law and is un-American,” he said. DeSantis added that “Florida will not respond to the extradition request.”
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