Former President Donald Trump has responded to criminal charges against him related to hush money payments made to a porn star prior to the 2016 presidential election. He called the US a “failing nation” and accused “radical left lunatics” of trying to interfere with elections using law enforcement.
At his arraignment in a Manhattan court, Donald Trump, who is the first former US President to face criminal charges, pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in connection to hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
The 76-year-old former Republican president ruled the country for four years till January 2021.
Addressing his supporters hours after he was arraigned, Trump said: “The only crime that I committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”
“Incredibly, we are now a failing nation. We are a nation in decline. And now these radical left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement. We can’t let that happen,” Trump, who is eying the White House for a second time in 2024, told his supporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, soon after he flew back from New York.
“Our country is going to hell,” the 76-year-old Republican leader said in a roughly 25-minute speech.
He described the time since his exit from office as “the most embarrassing time in our country’s history”.
“With all of this being said, and with a very dark cloud over our beloved country, I have no doubt nevertheless, that we will make America great again,” he said in the address, marking the first time he has spoken publicly since being arraigned on Tuesday.
