Donald Trump, the former president who became the first U.S. president in history to be criminally indicted, reportedly raised $4 million (approximately 5.2 billion KRW) in political donations within a single day.
On March 31 (local time), Trump’s presidential campaign disclosed this information, calling it an "incredible grassroots fundraising achievement." The campaign particularly noted that more than 25% of the funds raised that day came from "first-time donors" who had never contributed to Trump before, adding that "it clearly shows he is leading the Republican presidential primary race."
The previous day, a grand jury in Manhattan, New York, indicted Trump on charges including paying hush money to a former porn actress to cover up a sexual misconduct scandal and falsifying related company documents.
Immediately after the indictment was announced, Trump claimed political motives and sent an email to his supporters requesting donations. In the email, Trump stated, "The witch hunt by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, will backfire massively," and added, "Since running for president as a political outsider, the corrupt establishment has tried to stop our 'America First' movement."
This marks the first criminal indictment of a current or former U.S. president in American history. Trump is expected to appear in court for the first time on April 1. He will stand before the judge to be formally notified of the charges and enter a plea during the arraignment procedure.
Trump’s attorney said at the appearance that "Trump will not be handcuffed." However, like other defendants before moving, he is expected to have a mugshot taken and fingerprints collected. According to New York state law, the mugshot is not expected to be made public.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
