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Former U.S. president Donald Trump’s indictment on charges tied to hush money payments to porn stars has dominated media coverage for the past two weeks … culminating with Trump’s appearance in New York City on Tuesday afternoon to answer to the allegations.
It was a historic moment – the first time a sitting or former president had ever been indicted.
“(Trump) repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement accompanying the 34-count felony indictment. “Manhattan is home to the country’s most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct.”
Trump was indignant as he made his way to the Manhattan criminal courts building.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” he wrote on his TruthSocial platform prior to his appearance. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
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After the hearing, Trump proclaimed his innocence.
“Virtually every legal pundit has said that there is no case here,” he wrote. “There was nothing done illegally!”
Trump has no shortage of legal drama on his plate. In addition to the Manhattan probe over his alleged role in the hush money payments, he is facing an investigation in Georgia over alleged interference in the 2020 election. Then there is the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiry into the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump has argued all of these probes amount to “political persecution,” and veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod recently acknowledged this argument could wind up resonating with voters.
“Of all the offenses for which Trump is under investigation, the Stormy Daniels hush money is probably the least meaningful,” Axelrod tweeted last month. “If he’s going to be indicted in any of these probes, this the one he probably would want first to try and color all of them as politically-motivated.”
The immediate political question is how Trump’s indictment will impact his standing amongst the Republican electorate – which will determine over the coming months whether he is to be the GOP nominee for a third consecutive election.
On that score, the early returns seem very promising for the former president.
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RELATED | ‘EXCITED TO BE INDICTED’
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Three weeks ago – prior to the indictment drama sweeping the nation – Trump was polling at 43 percent among GOP primary voters nationwide, according to the latest aggregate polling data from RealClearPolitics. As of yesterday, Trump had climbed to 50.8 percent. Meanwhile, his top Republican rival – Florida governor Ron DeSantis – saw his backing fall from 30.1 percent to 24.6 percent.
In other words, what was a thirteen percentage point lead for Trump in mid-March has essentially doubled.
And he could still have room to climb …
Lesser challengers also saw their stocks slide, with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley dipping from 6.3 percent to 4.5 percent and former vice president Mike Pence sliding from 6.8 percent to 5 percent.
Maybe that line from The 1975’s hit song “Love It If We Made It” about Trump – “excited to be indicted” – was prescient.
Obviously, the mob is fickle. Especially the GOP mob. And the fact this article is being published between Palm Sunday and Good Friday should remind everyone of that. Also, while Trump is clearly riding a wave post-indictment support – one which may have yet to crest – his backing from GOP voters remains below what it was prior to the 2022 elections.
Many felt Trump held the party back in the previous election cycle, contributing to the lack of an expected “red wave.”
Still, the former president was full of chutzpah as he basked in the glow of his renewed Republican support.
“The Democrats have weaponized our system of laws like the USA has never seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The people, however, see what is going on and they will not allow it to continue. Tremendous spirit, right now, in the Republican Party!”
New York supreme court judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s next court date for December 4, 2023 – two months before the 2024 Iowa GOP caucus.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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6 comments
Trump is losing it. Indicted for over 30 criminal charges. There are young protesters in Tennessee fighting for gun control… Liberal Janet Protasiewicz won Wisconsin Supreme Court to help tip the balance for womens reproductive rights. The “Red Wave” that wasn’t in November 2022… I think this is spin. New York protesters drove MTG out lickety split yesterday. That is the real world. Trump supporters are a fringe minority and the only reason corrupt politicians like S.C. Lindsey Graham still support him is that Trump has far too much dirt on them and had threatened publicly to tell all. You only need listen to what Graham had to say in 2016 compared to the tears he shed over this indictment to smell something fishy. I wish someone would delve into L.Graham’s closet but after the Murdaugh trial I’m beginning to see the pattern.
Wasn’t it established 7 years ago that he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and his lemmings would cheer?
Ironically it’s the only true statement he’s ever made.
you forgot when he called Hilary a nasty drunken cunt, that was certainly true
Remember “Lock Her Up!!!”
lol
Of course you do, you dense twat;-)
Nanker, that dynamic is in play every single day. Go to any so-called “truther” site on Rumble to see it. They worship Trump like a god. Some have the nerve to say (and actually believe) that Trump is the return of Jesus. I used to think Obama supporters were unhinged, but they have nothing on the Trump worshippers. The Trumptards are like battered women. Confront them with one of his many betrayals and they meet it with an excuse. Not a logical or thoughtful one, but a lame excuse for that betrayal. It is sad.
Also, good to see my imposter is still on here and going strong.
You wanna know how bad SC’s education system is? Look at the number of alleged right-wing evangelicals who can’t see Trump is an imposter, a fraud, and yes, a serial thief and adulterer (with porn stars, no less). Somehow, they seem to think that he’s right up there with Jesus (and whomever the current Clemson Head Football Coach is). On top of all of that, he’s a blithering idiot. But they believe every word just so long as he hates the same people they do, never not realizing that he hates them too for looking like a bunch of low-class inbreeds. You think Trump would let any of ’em anywhere near his little soirées at Mar-a-Lago? But they do, so they’ll continue to be suckered by one of this nation’s most skilled conman, ever, and that’s really saying a lot.