By Oyintari Ben
Donald Trump declared in a defiant speech that the United States is “going to hell” after pleading not guilty to altering business records to conceal harmful information before the 2016 election.
A Manhattan judge on Tuesday filed 34 felony charges against the former president.
These involve a payment of hush money made to porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claims they had an adulterous relationship.
Trump is the first US president to go on trial in history.
The 76-year-old said to supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida after he appeared in court, “The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”
He claimed that the “fake case” was merely a plan by the Democratic Party to sway the outcome of the presidential election that he is running for next year.
Additionally, Mr Trump made the erroneous assertion that every legal expert and pundit had agreed there was no case against him.
He had earlier sat expressionless and silent for the duration of the proceedings before Judge Juan Merchan, speaking aloud only to answer the judge’s inquiries and to submit his not-guilty plea. As he exited the court, Mr Trump said nothing to reporters.
The prosecution’s case against the former president is based on a $130,000 (£104,000) hush payment made before the 2016 presidential race.
Although a criminal sentence would not stop Mr Trump from running for president or retaking the White House, the protracted legal battle may be a significant distraction for the Republican front-runner. It may cause further unrest in his party’s primary.
Three other investigations are centered on Mr Trump and deal with his handling of classified papers after departing the White House and efforts to have the 2020 election results overturned.
