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THE DESCENT OF DONALD TRUMP
Trump Charged With Conspiracy to Influence 2016 Election
Trump pleads not guilty to 34 Felony counts
The arraignment lasted 57 minutes — an unusually long time for a process that typically takes about 15 minutes. The prosecution took the opportunity to voice concerns about Trump’s comments predicting “death and destruction” if he were indicted.
They also brought hard copies of the recent Truth Social post showing Trump holding a baseball bat beside a photo of District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s head.
In response, Judge Merchan reminded everyone to refrain from “escalating rhetoric” in the future. The judge did not issue a gag order, something he acknowledged would interfere with Trump’s First Amendment rights, but he did say that if Trump made further threatening comments, he would revisit the issue and perhaps impose additional restrictions on the defendant.
Meanwhile, the streets outside the courthouse overflowed with security personnel and police. Few protesters showed up, and the majority of those were not there to defend Trump — they were there to show support…
