It didn’t take long for Donald Trump to leave New York on Tuesday, the city where he was born, raised and made his fortune, but it was already the scene of one of the worst days of his life. There was, in Manhattan Criminal Courtswhere he turned himself in, was arrested and charged with document forgery related to paying to silence an extramarital affair with porn actressStormy Daniels.
When the judge oversees the case, John Merchanput it Release without chargesTrump went to LaGuardia Airport in Queens, boarded his private jet and headed south, heading for friendlier areas. After about 24 hours in New York, a democratic city where he is not looked upon favorably, the former president landed in the afternoon at Florida coastWhere he has his residence and a private club, Lake sea.
There, among the club’s members, are staunch supporters and kinsmen, and in the same campaign uniform he wore before the judge—dark blue suit, red tie— He gave his first speech after learning that he was facing 34 charges On charges of document forgery, as part of a plot he hatched, according to the prosecution, to bury information about skirts harmful to his electoral interests.
The indictment, the first for a former US president, “An insult to our country”He said in a speech that he was annoyed and at the same time lacked energy.
“The only crime I have committed is fearlessly defending our nation from those who would destroy it.”
“The only crime I have committed is fearlessly defending our nation from those who would destroy it,” he defended.
Trump asserted that the legal justification for the accusation against him was “ridiculous” and that “there is no case” and reiterated his criticism of the investigation, which he has long placed within “witch hunt” Who says he has suffered since entering politics and above all since winning the 2016 elections.
They were the main targets of their attacks Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, who led the investigation; and Juan Merchan, the judge responsible for overseeing his case.
I described it as “criminal”, “fail” belonging to the “extreme left”. He described the second as a “judge who hates Trump,” the same description he described as the investigative judge’s wife. also They attacked their daughter For being active in democratic campaigns.
Trump could have taken the opportunity to explain the impeachment’s argumentative weakness, however He remained in insults. Yes he took the opportunity to attack the other investigations awaiting him like keeping the Secret documents at Mar-a-Lago After he left the White House — he called the special prosecutor assigned to the case “crazy” — or aired in Georgia for his campaign to change the results of the 2020 election (he said the attorney general is a “racist,” which he also said about Bragg).
He was among those present at Trump’s speech Two notable absences. He has not been seen The eldest daughter, Ivankawho for many years was his favourite, but in the accusatory episode he had a distant attitude towards his father. Instead of accusations of “politicization” by her siblings, who follow Trump’s script directly, Ivanka simply said the situation was “painful.” but There was no trace of Melania, his wifewhom the former president did not mention in his speech (he did not name all his children, including Ivanka).
Trump’s accusations stem from extramarital affairs – which Trump denies – with Daniels And in the “Playboy” model, Karen McDougalWhich prompted him as a candidate in 2016 to remain silent in order to avoid influencing the elections, according to the prosecution. Both happened in 2006, when the New York billionaire married Melania for the third time and they had just had a son.
