A Woman Forces Donald Trump to Face Criminal Charges in Court: A Poetic Beginning to Potential Legal Consequences

April 4, 2023 :Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to face criminal charges on Tuesday in Manhattan Criminal Court in relation to alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in 2016 by his former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen. Trump denies the allegations, but this indictment makes him the first current or former U.S. president to face criminal charges. The charges against him stem from more than two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct from women, including rape, inappropriate groping, and sexual harassment. One of the cases will go to court later this month.

The New York grand jury indictment marks the beginning of a potential string of legal consequences that Trump may face. Daniels, the woman Trump and those in his inner circle attempted to silence, is now at the center of the case. Daniels has described the indictment as “poetic” and stated that “a person in power is not exempt from the law.”

The list of offensive comments Trump has made about women is extensive and has grown over the years. Following the release of the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape, where Trump made sexually inappropriate remarks, more accusations surfaced against him. Trump has been accused of making misogynistic remarks that extend to everyone from his own daughter to former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestants to campaign rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump’s actions made it clear that he had no desire to repair his reputation. Few women held key positions in his administration, and the women who did work for the administration made 69 cents to every one dollar paid to male staffers. The White House’s Council on Women and Girls was disbanded, and the definitions for domestic violence and sexual assault were narrowed.

Despite Trump’s track record of belittling and intimidating those who have made accusations against him, women have continued to come forward with allegations of misconduct. Women ran for office in record numbers in the following years and were more represented in Congress than in any other year in U.S. history after the 2018 elections.

Trump is expected to turn himself in on Tuesday to be arraigned in New York. He faces more than 30 felony counts for falsifying business records. The exact charges are unknown as the indictment remains sealed. Still, the hush-money payment made to Daniels will likely be front and center in the case.