On Thursday (March 30 Eastern Daylight Time), former US President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan. The case is related to payments allegedly made to pornstar Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal to silence their claims of supposed extramarital sexual escapades with him in the past.
The development has made Trump the first ever President in US history to face a criminal charge, which can thwart his chances to run for Office again. Meanwhile, he has rubbished the indictment as ‘political persecution’ at the hands of the Democrats.
The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has been indicted by a Grand Jury in New York following District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s irresponsible and politically-motivated efforts to take him down.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) March 30, 2023
A sad day for America. pic.twitter.com/pPjA9ZLUac
As per reports, Donald Trump is likely to surrender before the Manhattan district attorney’s office in the coming week. Following this, he will be photographed, fingerprinted and might be handcuffed as well.
It is alleged that the former President’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $1,30,000 (₹1.06 crores) to pornstar Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal $1,50,000 (₹1.23 crore) through the publisher of American tabloid, National Enquirer.
The alleged payments were reportedly made in the run-up to the 2016 Presidential elections. According to Cohen, Donald Trump later paid him $4,20,000 (₹3.44 crores) as reimbursement, bonuses and extra payments. It has now been dubbed the ‘hush money case.
The indictment of Donald Trump in a case, pursued by a Democratic prosecutor Alvin Bragg, has the potential to drastically impact the outcome of the 2024 Presidential elections.
When the US virtue-signalled India on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi
Interestingly, the development comes at a time when the United States has ‘expressed concerns’ over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a criminal defamation case and eventual disqualification from the Parliament.
In a statement, the US State Department said, “So respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we’re watching Mr. Gandhi’s case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values – including, of course, freedom of expression.”
“In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies,” it added.
#WATCH | “Respect for rule of law & judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy. We’re watching Mr Gandhi’s case in Indian court …. “:Vedant Patel, US Principal Dy Spokesperson on defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his ‘Modi surname’ remark pic.twitter.com/WFUaAcBWd0
— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2023
Recently, controversial US House Representative Ro Khanna stirred the hornet’s nest by making unsolicited remarks about the internal political affairs of India. He had tweeted (archive), “The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India’s deepest values.”
The US politician further added, “This is not what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for. Narendra Modi, you have the power to reverse this decision for the sake of Indian democracy.”
The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India’s deepest values. This is not what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for. @narendramodi you have the power to reverse this decision for the the sake of Indian democracy. https://t.co/h85qlYMn1J
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) March 24, 2023
Ro Khanna was reacting to an article by The New York Times, which shrewdly insinuated that the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi was somehow due to his opposition to PM Narendra Modi.
