Trump Appears at Court Indictment Procedure... Calls It "Surreal" on SNS

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was indicted on so-called 'sexual relationship hush money allegations,' appeared at a Manhattan courthouse in New York on the afternoon of the 4th (local time).

According to U.S. ABC News, CNN, and others, former President Trump departed from the Trump Tower penthouse around 1 p.m. that day and headed to the courthouse in lower Manhattan. Around 1:40 p.m., escorted by Secret Service (SS) agents, he entered the building, underwent procedures such as fingerprinting at the district attorney's office, and was detained before entering the courthouse at approximately 2:30 p.m. During this process, he did not make any separate statements or respond to reporters' questions.

As this is the first case of a former president being indicted in history, many broadcasters including ABC aired live coverage of former President Trump's movements that day. The expression of former President Trump, captured on the broadcast screen in the hallway open to the public for court entry, appeared somewhat somber. Before arriving at the courthouse, he posted on his social media platform Social Truth, "Heading to the courthouse in lower Manhattan. So surreal," adding, "They will arrest me. I can't believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The court is currently conducting an arraignment procedure to notify former President Trump of the charges and confirm his intention to admit or deny the allegations. This part is not being broadcast live, and only some photos are being released. Former President Trump's legal team has stated that they will plead not guilty to all charges. The indictment will also be released soon. It is reported that more than 30 charges have been applied, including at least one felony. Earlier, the Manhattan grand jury indicted former President Trump on the 30th of last month on charges of delivering money to hush up a sexual scandal with an adult actress and falsifying accounting documents.

Unlike typical felony defendants, former President Trump was not handcuffed that day. This appears to be in consideration of his status as a former president. Although it was initially reported that a mugshot, a facial photo for criminal identification, would be taken, local media previously reported that New York authorities would omit the mugshot.

Former President Trump's legal team raised the need to change the trial venue ahead of his court appearance that day. On Truth Social, he claimed, "Manhattan is a very biased area, with Republican vote shares as low as 1% in some districts," and argued, "The trial should be held in Staten Island, which is very fair and safe, near Manhattan." Staten Island is considered the most conservative of New York City's five boroughs. This statement is interpreted as reflecting the judgment that holding the trial at the Manhattan courthouse, where Democratic support is overwhelming, would be disadvantageous in jury selection and other matters.

Former President Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida starting at 8:15 p.m. that evening. At this event, he is expected to deny the charges against him, reiterate that the indictment is a "political persecution" and a "witch hunt," and call on his supporters to rally. It remains uncertain whether he will make a separate statement in Manhattan, New York, beforehand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.