Former American president Donald Trump has been facing charges over hush money paid to a porn star, and is expected to appear in court in Manhattan. The former US President denies the charges and plans to plead not guilty.
Trump will be the first former US President to face the criminal charges. The specific charges included in the grand jury indictment have not been disclosed. In response to the charges, Trump claimed the charges are politically motivated. Trump will leave his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach for Trump Tower in Manhattan before heading to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.
Trump’s plane, with his name in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail, was parked at the West Palm Beach airport near Mar-a-Lago.
Demonstrations are expected, and security is being beefed up in the Manhattan. The indictment may have boosted Trump’s candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
During the grand jury proceedings, evidence was presented regarding a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Daniels alleged that the payment was made to keep her silent about a sexual encounter with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006, though Trump has denied any such relationship with her.
Despite these allegations, Trump went on to serve as the President from 2017 to 2021, and has since launched a campaign to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, with the aim of defeating current Democratic President Joe Biden.
Interestingly, the indictment may have given Trump’s campaign a boost, at least in the short term.
