Trump in court reckoning: What happened and what’s ahead

By COLLEEN LONG and MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

Donald Trump has become the first president charged with criminal activity. Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony charges in his arraignment in a New York City courtroom. The charges allege falsification of business records in a hush money investigation. The former Republican president has denied any wrongdoing, repeatedly assailed the investigation and called the indictment “political persecution.” Trump surrendered to authorities, then sat in the courtroom to face a judge at his hearing on the courthouse’s 15th floor. His lawyer said Trump “is absolutely frustrated, upset and believes that there is a great injustice happening in this courtroom today.”