Never thought this could happen in America: Donald Trump's first remarks following arraignment

Former United States president Donald Trump addressed a press conference on Tuesday (April 4) following his arraignment in the hush money case. Speaking at the Mar-a-Lago, his beachfront mansion in southern Florida, Trump, 76, said he never thought anything like this could happen in America. "The only crime that I've committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it... It's an insult to our country," he told an audience of several hundred donors, political allies and other supporters.

ALSO READ | How American lawmakers reacted to Donald Trump's arraignment?

Hitting out at current President Joe Biden and his administration, Trump said that America was going to hell, and the world was already laughing at the country for so many reasons.

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"If we took five worst presidents and they wouldn't have near destruction to the country which Joe Biden and administration have done. We are a failing nation," Trump added.

The former president also said that "radical left" prosecutors across the country were out to get him "at any cost."

ALSO READ | Would not allow Donald Trump to get away with lawbreaking: Manhattan DA

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from three pre-election hush-money cases. The twice-impeached Republican is the first sitting or former American president to be criminally indicted.

A statement released alongside the indictment included details of hush money payments to Daniels, Playboy model Karen McDougal and a former Trump Tower doorman claiming to have a story about a child the former president had out of wedlock.

ALSO WATCH | Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in hush money case

Manhattan prosecutors said that Trump "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election."

After the dramatic court hearingin New York, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters that he would not allow Trump to get away with lawbreaking. "These are felony crimes in New York State. No matter who you are we cannot and will not normalise serious criminal conduct," Bragg said, adding that everyone stands equal before the law.

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