Trump ‘shocked’ by indictment but ‘ready to fight’

Following his historic indictment on criminal charges, Donald Trump was preparing Friday to go where no former US president has gone before – a prosecutor’s office to be booked, fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken.

Trump’s pending arrest, expected on Tuesday, throws a political grenade into the 2024 presidential race, in which the 76-year-old real estate tycoon is hoping to return to the White House.

Pressed by reporters on Friday, President Joe Biden repeatedly declined to address the fate of the Republican candidate he defeated in the 2020 election and could potentially face again in November of next year.

“I have no comment on Trump,” Biden said.

In predicting his indictment, Trump called for protests and warned that it could lead to “potential death and destruction” for the country.

– ‘Disgraceful’ –

“They only brought this Fake, Corrupt, and Disgraceful Charge against me because I stand with the American People, and they know that I cannot get a fair trial in New York!” he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

Trump survived two impeachments while in the White House and kept prosecutors at bay over everything from the US Capitol riot to missing classified files — only to land in court over a sex scandal involving Stormy Daniels, a 44-year-old adult movie actress.

Top Republicans have rallied around the former president who remains the favourite to win the party’s 2024 presidential nomination despite potential legal troubles that extend beyond the New York indictment.

Trump faces felony investigations in Georgia relating to the 2020 election and in Washington over both the classified files and the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.

Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, said the indictment had “irreparably damaged” the country.

Trump’s former vice president and possible 2024 challenger Mike Pence called it an “outrage” that would only “further serve to divide” the United States.

The Manhattan charges will also likely juice turnout among Trump’s loyal base, boosting his chances in the party primary.