A New York grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on Thursday over hush‑money payments made to adult‑film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, making him the first ex‑president to face criminal charges. The 76‑year‑old Republican, who denies any wrongdoing, is accused of facilitating the $130,000 payment weeks before the election to silence Daniels about an alleged affair. The historic indictment is expected to upend the 2024 presidential race in which Trump is seeking a return to the White House.
Trump’s lawyer Susan Necheles told AFP that an arraignment is anticipated for Tuesday next week. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed it had contacted Trump’s attorneys on Thursday evening to “coordinate his surrender” in New York, at which time the felony charges will be disclosed. Trump denounced the indictment as “political persecution and election interference,” attacking prosecutors, Democratic opponents, and vowing that it would backfire on President Joe Biden. If the indictment includes as many as 30 counts of business fraud, the arraignment could involve fingerprinting, photographing and possibly handcuffing the former president.
Reactions have split along partisan lines. In the Republican camp, Trump’s allies and his sons called the move a vendetta designed to derail his 2024 campaign, while expected primary rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis labeled the indictment “un‑American.” House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said the indictment had “irreparably damaged” the country, and former Vice President Mike Pence called it an “outrage” that would only further divide the United States. On the Democratic side, top House Democrat Adam Schiff—who led Trump’s first impeachment—described the development as “sobering and unprecedented,” adding that both the indictment and the alleged unlawful conduct are unique in American history.
Daniels responded with her usual flair, tweeting that she was receiving “so many messages I can’t respond…also don’t want to spill my champagne,” while promoting her #TeamStormy merchandise. Earlier, on March 18, Trump had predicted his arrest within days over the Daniels payment and warned of potential “death & destruction” and “catastrophic” consequences for the country, prompting concerns about protests in New York. When the grand jury finally returned the indictment on Thursday, a media scrum gathered outside the district attorney’s office, accompanied by a small group of anti‑Trump demonstrators; overall, the scene remained calm.
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment to Daniels on Trump’s behalf and was later reimbursed. Prosecutors argued that the checks were not properly recorded and asked the jury to consider whether a cover‑up had been orchestrated to benefit Trump’s campaign by burying the scandal. This New York case is the first of three major investigations to result in charges against the former president. He also faces felony probes in Georgia over the 2020 election and in Washington concerning the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
Trump, widely seen as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024, has branded all investigations as political persecution. The impact of the indictment on his electoral prospects remains uncertain. Critics warn that an acquittal could reinforce the narrative of a “witch hunt,” potentially undermining future prosecutions related to more serious matters, such as his attempts to overturn Georgia’s election results. Conversely, the Manhattan charges may energize Trump’s base and boost his chances in the party primary. At his first campaign rally in Texas, held in Waco, Trump addressed a crowd of several thousand—far fewer than the 15,000 he had expected—telling supporters that “the innocence of people makes no difference whatsoever to these radical left maniacs.”
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