C T Online Desk:.Former United States president Donald Trump on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges inside a packed New York courtroom ahead of a trial that could begin as soon as January, as he became the first American president to be arrested on criminal charges.
After a stern glare to waiting press, Trump spent about an hour inside a Manhattan courtroom as he voluntarily surrendered over allegations involving hush money payments that have already upended the 2024 White House race in which he is leading the Republican field.
‘Not guilty,’ Trump said in a clear voice inside the courtroom, where he sat with his shoulders up to his ears, at times looking annoyed but mostly listening cooperatively.
Trump denied all the charges, which related to payments to keep people quiet including over an alleged affair with an adult film actress.
The 76-year-old hotel tycoon is accused of falsifying business records including some that were allegedly mischaracterized for tax purposes.
‘Manhattan is home to the country’s most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct,’ said Manhattan’s District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has faced heated attacks from Trump and his family.
The trial could potentially start as soon as January, Judge Juan Merchan said, meaning that Trump could be in a courtroom just as primary elections begin in the presidential race.
Trump’s lawyers, denouncing the allegations as ‘sad’ and ‘boilerplate,’ want the trial pushed back to the spring.
‘We’re going to fight it, we’re going to fight it hard,’ attorney Todd Blanche said outside the court complex.
Merchan released the former president from custody without any restrictions.
Trump was expected to speak at length later including at a campaign-style event after the native New Yorker flies back to his estate in Florida.
In a spectacle that played out on live television — with rival protesters rallying outside — the hearing marked a watershed moment for the US criminal and political system the year before the 2024 election.
‘Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,’ Trump posted on his Truth Social app as he headed to the courthouse from Trump Tower, where he spent the night before the hearing.
