Donald Trump was formally indicted by a grand jury in New York

A grand jury in New York has formally indicted Donald Trump in a 2016 case of buying a porn actress’ silence, an unprecedented legal move for a former president, US media reported Thursday.

• Read more: Threatened by indictment, Trump condemns “election meddling” by “thugs”.

• Read more: Other investigations surrounding Donald Trump

• Read more: We summarize the Trump and Stormy Daniels affair

“This is the most extraordinary gift we have ever given him. [en vue des primaires du Parti républicain] Commented Raphael Jacob, a co-researcher at the US lab, who holds the Raoul-Tandurant Chair at the University of Quebec in Montreal. The reality is that it welds a large segment of the electorate behind him. »

The former White House tenant, who dreams of running for re-election in 2024, will appear in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, according to his lawyer Susan Necheles.

He faces more than 30 charges, CNN revealed Thursday night, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Trump accuses porn actress and director of paying $130,000
Stormy Daniels, with whom he had an extramarital affair. After ten days of keeping America in suspense, Trump’s hypothetical impeachment on Thursday is unlikely to happen until late April.

“Political Persecution”

The 45th president responded strongly within an hour of Thursday evening’s news, denouncing “political harassment” and “interference in the 2024 presidential election.”

“I firmly believe this witch hunt will turn violent against Joe Biden,” he vowed in a lengthy press release.

After pulling a political stunt nearly two weeks ago by falsely announcing that he would be arrested on March 21, Trump and his team in recent days believed the investigation was inconclusive. Strong evidence against him, CNN reported.

The former president on Sunday and Monday assessed the investigation, which he described as “fraud” and “election interference”, as “dead”.

He wants to show it off

According to Jacobs, Trump will use his arrest to scapegoat himself and strengthen his base, which could serve him well in the primaries. Nevertheless, the allegation could harm him when he tries again for the presidency in 2024.

“In the long run, I think this puts the Republican Party in a very uncomfortable position,” says Jacobs. We saw that 60% of Americans think he should be disqualified from being president. »

Officials will want to avoid showing the allegation and airing images of Trump in handcuffs, for example, according to Frédéric Gagnon, who holds the Raoul-Tandurant chair.

“It will evoke that kind of feeling even more. [la victimisation] At its base.

–With AFP