Manhattan jury voted to indict Donald Trump, the 45th President of the U.S., in a criminal case in New York. According to information, Trump is accused of paying "hush money" to silence women who had extramarital affairs with him before the 2016 Presidential elections. This marks the first time in the history of the U.S. that an incumbent or former President has been criminally charged.
When appearing in court on April 4, Trump pleaded "not guilty" to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying his business records, saying, “I never thought anything like this could happen in America. It’s an insult to our country,” in response to the situation. However, he also urged Judge Juan Merchan not to make statements that could create civil unrest or "jeopardize the rule of law".
Daryo correspondent sat down with the Voice of America (VOA) journalist Navbahor Imamova, who has been covering this issue from Washington.
Discussing how this process is affecting the American people and what is the general feeling among observers in the U.S, Navbahar Imamova said:
"In many ways, Americans are taking note of this as something that is going to history books and for future generations to look back and analyze. But now, Americans are quite divided - many of his supporters and regular Republicans are uncomfortable seeing their former president in such a situation. On the other hand, you can observe that many Americans are very proud of their legal and justice system."
Talking about whether these hearings could cause mass unrest in the country, Navbahor Imamova noted:
"Protests by his supporters started earlier today and continued throughout the day. Then the rallies moved to Florida, where Trump flew after the court proceedings in New York. So far, there have not been any reports of mass unrest, but things got intense between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters in the city. Police took extra measures to ensure safety in the area."
U.S. Presidential Elections of 2024 are also approaching, with more nominees, such as Robert F. Kennedy entering the race most recently. When asked whether Trump can still run for President in 2024, Navbahor Imamova added:
"We will see what happens. The next court hearing is on December 4. A lot can happen by then. His lawyers are going to do their best to get the charges dismissed. But, as far as the presidential campaign is concerned, he can continue campaigning. There are no legal barriers there so far..."
Trump's next in-person hearing is set for December 4, 2023, in New York's Manhattan court.
Shakhlo Giyasova, Daryo correspondent, Tashkent