Donald Trump Arrested, Pleads Not Guilty to 34 Felony Counts of Falsifying Business Records
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Donald Trump has been arrested, as New York law enforcement continues its extended investigation into the former president’s involvement in a “hush money” scheme with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Although he was not handcuffed, did not have to take a mug shot or take a perp walk, he was effectively arrested when he surrendered to the court.
After being processed at the courthouse, Trump was spotted by TV news cameras walking through the hallways to the courtroom. Once seated, photos captured the former president before the charges were presented to him. When the arraignment began, cameras were no longer allowed in the courtroom.
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Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the first degree. The crux of the charges focus on “hush money” payments made to two women: Daniels, and per reporting from NBC News, former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Click here to read the full indictment, which was released in the aftermath of the court appearance.
In a press conference following the arraignment, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg outlined the charges, saying, “These are felony crimes in New York State no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.”
The arraignment took place in a Lower Manhattan courtroom. Trump was spotted leaving Trump Tower in Manhattan around 1:10 p.m. EST and then drove downtown in a large motorcade. During the walk from Trump Tower to his vehicle, Trump held his fist up and waved. He also addressed the crowd in the same manner when walking from the vehicle to the courthouse.
On the drive to the courthouse, which was scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EST, Trump took to his social media website, Truth Social, to write, “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!”
On March 18, Trump publicly declared that he believed his arrest to be imminent. The arrest comes as Bragg continues to look into Trump’s involvement in paying adult film star Stormy Daniels a sum of $130,000 to stay silent and remain private about their alleged 2006 affair.
While the 2016 payoff is not considered criminal, the falsification of the Trump Organization’s business records and the false reflection of payment reimbursement is. The President’s then-“fixer” Michael Cohen advanced the money to Daniels. As a result, the entire transaction has been recognized as a misdemeanor.
Ahead of the arrest, Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!”
After calling for the protest, the former President continued, “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
The New York investigation has been ongoing since 2018, a stretch of years that saw the then-president impeached twice, in December 2019 and later in January 2021. Trump was first impeached after a formal House inquiry discovered he had solicited foreign interference for his 2020 reelection. Following the 2020 election, Trump was impeached in January 2021 for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Trump has since announced plans to run for reelection in 2024. Meanwhile, an 18-month investigation pursued a criminal case against the former president’s involvement with the Jan. 6 insurrection. The investigation concluded in Dec. 2022, with the Jan. 6 Committee referring the criminal charges to the Department of Justice.
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