Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony charges in New York court

Donald Trump has again made history for the wrong reasons as he has become the first former president to be brought to court on criminal charges.

In a stunning legal showdown as he contemplates a return to the White House iby contesting the 2024 presidential elections, Trump pleaded not guilty during a court hearing in New York on Tuesday.

During a brief one-hour hearing, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of felony falsifying business records. He entered the plea at 2:45 pm local time after arriving at a Manhattan courthouse.

The allegations concerned payments made to a porn actress in exchange for her silence during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump appeared disheartened as he sat before Judge Juan Merchan for his arraignment, and he had a glum expression on his face as he and his attorneys entered the courtroom following processing..

At a press conference following the hearing, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg remarked, “No matter who you are, we cannot and will not normalize severe criminal conduct.”

“He’s furious, he’s upset, but I tell you what, he’s motivated and it’s not going to stop him, it’s not going to slow him down,” Trump’s attorney, Todd White, said to reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing,