Donald Trump has become the first former president of the United States to face criminal prosecution, but the charges have not been made public.
The indictment by a grand jury in Manhattan, New York, come after a years-long investigation into a payment made by Trump’s personal lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump, who is seeking the White House again in 2024, calls the move a “witch hunt”.
Top Republicans have also dismissed the expected indictment as a “politically motivated prosecutorial decision”.
Social media users shared photos of a 1973 front page New York Times article that reported the US Department of Justice bringing a suit in the Federal Court in Brooklyn against the Trump Management Corporation for violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968 in its operation of 39 buildings.
Trump’s indictment on Thursday marked 50 years since his name first made headlines in over accusations of discrimination against black tenants.
The indictment of Trump thrust the 2024 presidential election into uncharted territory, raising the remarkable prospect that the leading contender for the Republican nomination will seek the White House while also facing trial for criminal charges in New York.
The indictment raises profound questions for the GOP’s future, particularly as Trump faces the possibility of additional charges soon in Atlanta and Washington.
