A New York grand jury on Thursday indicted Donald Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face criminal charges.
Ednews reports citing the Guardian that Daniels claims she had an affair with the former US president in 2006. Trump denies the affair, but has admitted directing his one-time lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to pay Daniels $130,000 for her silence.
The indictment of Donald Trump has profound implications for the Republican race for the nomination for next year’s presidential election. As Jill Colvin writes for Associated Press, it is likely to force his potential rivals into the awkward position of having to defend him – or risk the wrath of Trump’s support base.
Polls show Trump remains the undisputed frontrunner for the Republican nomination. His standing has not faltered, even amid widespread reporting on the expected charges.
It should be noted that an indictment, or even a conviction, would not bar Trump from running for president or serving as the Republican nominee.
