Donald Trump explodes over indictment as porn star Stormy Daniels goes underground

Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on the judge presiding over his ‘hush money’ case, as the porn star at the centre of the scandal abruptly cancelled a TV interview.

Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on the judge presiding over the historic case against him, amid revelations the former president is facing 34 business fraud charges.

As his supporters prepared to protest in New York and the National Guard was put on standby, Mr Trump claimed Justice Juan Merchan “HATES ME” and had “railroaded” his former chief financial officer in a separate fraud trial against his company last year.

Mr Trump – the first US president in history to be hit with criminal charges – also attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “disgrace” ahead of his arrest next Wednesday at 4.15am (AEDT).

Justice Juan Merchan. Picture: Steven Hirsch/New York Post

But Mr Bragg’s office hit back after the bombshell indictment leaked, lashing the “baseless and inflammatory accusations that our investigation is politically motivated”.

Mr Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed the former president – who is campaigning to return to the White House next year – was facing 34 counts of business fraud over $US130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

Ms Daniels, who received the hush money to silence her claim that she slept with Mr Trump, was due to record an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan before abruptly pulling out because of “security issues”.

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Mr Tacopina said there was “zero” chance his client – who denies having an affair with the adult film star – would take a plea deal because “there’s no crime”.

The former president bombarded his supporters with fundraising emails on Saturday as he complained about the “KANGAROO COURT” in Manhattan and Justice Merchan, who sentenced Mr Trump’s financial officer Allen Weisselberg to five months in jail over tax fraud

“He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn’t “plead,” VICIOUSLY,” Mr Trump posted on his social media platform.

Top Republicans who decried the case as a political witch hunt promised to hold Mr Bragg accountable, demanding he co-operate with a congressional inquiry.

That prompted a stern rebuke from his general counsel Leslie Debeck, who said the charges were “brought by citizens of New York, doing their civic duty as members of a grand jury, who found probable cause to accuse Mr Trump of having committed crimes”.

Porn star Stormy Daniels. Picture: AFP

She accused Republicans of an “unprecedented and illegitimate incursion” on the District Attorney’s Office based on “Mr Trump’s efforts to vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges”.

As law enforcement agencies prepared for Mr Trump to surrender and face court in Manhattan, Mr Tacopina said he would not be put in handcuffs.

Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a key ally of the former president, vowed to “protest the tyrants” in New York as she claimed the Democrats “want civil war”.

“They want to push us into reacting so they can use their weaponized government to lock us all up,” she tweeted.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the National Guard and state police were ready to assist the NYPD to quell any protests, after Mr Trump had previously warned of “death and destruction” if he was charged, although officials said there were “no credible threats”.

President Joe Biden, asked multiple times about the indictment, repeatedly said he had “no comment at all”.

The prosecution also appeared to divide Mr Trump’s family, with his son Donald Trump Jr saying it was “stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, it would make them blush”, while his daughter Ivanka issued a more muted statement.

DA Alvin Bragg. Picture: Getty

“I love my father, and I love my country. Today, I am pained for both. I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern,” she said.

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Originally published as Donald Trump explodes over indictment as porn star Stormy Daniels goes underground