US Ex-President Trump will not be put in handcuffs for a court date
Donald Trump’s lawyer insists the former president will not be put in handcuffs after a New York grand jury voted on Thursday to indict him over hush money payments made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
Speaking on ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday, a lawyer representing Trump, Joe Tacopina, said the indictment was shocking to Trump and his team.
“I feel like the rule of law died yesterday in this country, and it’s not something I’m happy about,” Tacopina said. “This is unprecedented in this country’s history. I don’t know what to expect other than an arraignment.”
Tacopina outlined what could happen: the courthouse will close as Trump arrives, Trump will appear in front of a judge and plead not guilty. His team will file motions against the indictment, arguing against “the legal liability of this case”.
“I’m sure they’ll try to get every ounce of publicity from this thing,” Tacopina said. Referring to Trump and prosecutors, he added: “The president will not be put in handcuffs. I’m sure they’ll try to make sure they get some joy out of this by parading him.”
The torrent of legal proceedings flowing from Trump’s presidency haven’t just resulted in the first criminal indictment of a former president and current presidential candidate.
Lawsuits against Fox News, for pushing the ex-president’s “big lie” of a stolen election, also shed light on how a toxic, symbiotic relationship between politics and media can work together to sow misinformation and push democracy to the brink.
The Guardian operates differently. Unlike so much of the media today, we aren’t beholden to any billionaire owner, political party, or commercial interest – our independent journalism is guided exclusively by the public interest.
And as a global news organisation, we’re able to provide a fresh, outsider perspective on US politics one so often missing from the insular American media bubble. This was true through four years of Trump’s presidency and it remains true today.
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