Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to criminal charges originated from hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 elections, at a historic court hearing in New York.
The 76-year-old Republican faces dozens of counts in the case, which threatens to upend the 2024 White House race.Trump turned himself in Tuesday for a historic New York court hearing held amid tight security and a global media frenzy, as the Republican billionaire became the first American president in history to face criminal charges.
Rival protesters are seen rallying outside as the hearing marks a watershed moment for the US criminal and political system, with the potential to upend the 2024 White House race in which Trump is currently the leading Republican nominee.
The twice-impeached Republican is the first sitting or former American president to be criminally indicted — a development that has propelled the United States into uncharted political waters.