Donald Trump repeats resentments in first speech since arrest
Former president Donald Trump assailed Judge Merchan’s family as well as district attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday after returning from his court appearance in New York earlier in the day.
On a historic and unprecedented day for America, former president Donald Trump was arrested and arraigned at a Lower Manhattan courthouse on criminal charges relating to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
After Tuesday’s hearing, he flew back to his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, to deliver a primetime address where he told supporters that “our country is going to hell”.
“We are a nation in decline. And now these radical left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement,” he said.
Earlier he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts against him at the hearing before Judge Juan Merchan, becoming the first US president – current or former – ever to be charged with a crime.
The felony charges against him relate to falsified business records. Mr Trump was flanked by police in court but was not handcuffed or put in a jail cell, and no mugshot was taken.
