DONALD Trump has pleaded not guilty to dozens of fraud charges connected to his alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels.
The former US president looked downcast as he appeared at the New York City courtroom, surrounded by his legal team and Secret Service Agents, on Tuesday.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 class E felony charges of falsifying business records.
He became the first former and sitting US president ever to be criminally charged.
He had voluntarily surrendered to New York authorities following an unprecedented indictment stemming from his alleged fraudulent business records and hush-money payments to two women.
The first image of Trump inside the courtroom was released before the start of his arraignment.
Trump was seated somberly between his attorneys Todd Blanche, Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina.
The charges against Trump stem from a $130,000 hush-money payment that his fixer, Michael D. Cohen, made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 campaign to silence claims of an affair.
The case also includes claims of hush payments to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Trump allegedly played a role in paying $150,000 in hush payments to McDougal, who claims that she began a 10-month relationship with the former president in 2006., according to the Wall Street Journal.
A class E felony in New York State is the lowest felony charge available and is usually associated with serious crimes that did not warrant a higher felony charge.
An appalled Trump posted on his Truth Social how he was on his way to Lower Manhattan to be arrested.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!” the former president wrote.
His motorcade arrived at the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, part of the towering Manhattan Criminal Courts facility, just before 1.30pm.
He gave one final wave to onlookers before being escorted inside the building, where he was officially placed in the custody of the NYPD.
Trump was reportedly fingerprinted before his arraignment, however, he was not handcuffed as he walked into the courtroom.
A mugshot of Trump is not expected to take place.
The former president did not deliver remarks or answer questions from the media as he entered the courtroom.
Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, hundreds of pro and anti-Trump demonstrators flooded the streets, engaging in shouting clashes as police struggled to separate the groups.
Before arriving at the downtown courthouse, Trump raised his fist to supporters outside of Trump Tower moments before being whisked away via a motorcade.
The former president is expected to fly back to Flordia later today, where he is expected to address the public tonight from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump’s former fixer Cohen allegedly made the payments to 44-year-old Daniels, born Stephanie Clifford, who claimed to have had an affair with the former president in 2006.
Cohen allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 right before the 2016 presidential election to stay quiet about the alleged affair with Trump.
Daniels claimed Cohen used “intimidation and coercive tactics” to get her to sign on to the statement denying her affair with Trump.
In the years that followed, Cohen acknowledged making the payment to the adult star.
Cohen eventually pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges stemming from his involvement with the payments.
He told a federal court in Manhattan that Trump directed him to make the payments.
The ex-Trump aide was eventually sentenced to three years in prison.
The former commander-in-chief has vehemently denied any wrongdoing throughout the probe.
Trump’s indictment comes as he’s seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
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