READ: Trump indictment and statement of facts related to hush money payment | CNN Politics

Former President Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts in a shocking indictment that has sent shockwaves through the US. The unsealed charges, revealed on Tuesday, mark a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation into Trump's alleged dealings with women.

According to documents released by prosecutors, the charges are centered around a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The indictment alleges that Trump and his then-attorney Michael Cohen orchestrated the payment of $130,000 to silence Daniels about an alleged affair with Trump.

The statement of facts accompanying the indictment reveals that Trump was directly involved in planning and executing the hush money payment, despite repeatedly denying any involvement. Prosecutors claim that Trump's actions were "in contravention of his sworn testimony" and demonstrate a "pattern of deception."

Trump's lawyers have maintained that the charges are part of an "attempt to intimidate witnesses" and are without merit. However, the indictment paints a damning picture of Trump's alleged role in covering up the scandal.

The developments come as Trump faces growing pressure from Republican lawmakers who may be forced to distance themselves from their former leader. As the investigation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the charges will impact Trump's legacy and the ongoing drama surrounding his presidency.

man this is crazy... can't believe trump's getting charged with all these felonies he's been denying any involvement for years but now it looks like he was directly in on it... it's wild that prosecutors are saying he broke the law by lying under oath this whole thing just feels like a really big mess... and what's up with republicans distancing themselves from him? is he gonna get impeached or something?

what's going on here? like Trump was involved in planning hush money payment for affair that he denied ever happened and now he's facing 34 felony counts? doesn't this feel like a big deal? I'm not sure how much more of these scandals we can take. The statement of facts seems pretty damning, but Trump's lawyers are saying it's all just an attempt to intimidate witnesses... isn't that a bit convenient? And what about Stormy Daniels herself? has she been silenced or is this just part of the investigation?

man this is crazy like what even happened with stormy daniels tho? and trump is denying everything but the docs show he was straight up involved 34 felony counts though that's wild, hopefully justice gets served but i'm not holding my breath...

"This house of cards is not a building. It's a monument to corruption."

man this is crazy! 34 felony counts , like what's next? it's all coming out now, you feel me? trump's been dodging this for years but now he's gotta face the music. i'm not surprised though, if you look at his history, it's always been about being above the law and getting away with things.

i think it's gonna be a long road for him, especially if these charges stick. people are already turning on him, even some republicans are like 'wait a minute'. this is a big deal, not just for trump but for the whole country. we're seeing a lot of corruption and abuse of power lately, and it's time someone gets held accountable.

anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this story, it's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out

omg i cant even believe what's happening rn this is getting serious like we're talking felony counts 34! what even is going on with trump and stormy daniels tho? it sounds like he was involved in some shady stuff and now the doc's are coming for him i feel bad for michael cohen though, he got caught up in all of this too. i guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out one thing is for sure tho, trump's legacy is definitely taking a hit right about now

just thinking about trump and his team, they got some serious issues going on rn... 130k and they just wanted to keep quiet about affair or what any1 who thinks he can just bribe ppl and get away w/ it needs a wake up call lol meanwhile, this is like, huge for democracy and accountability... gotta see how republicans react next

omg I'm literally shaking rn this is crazy news! like i was at a dinner party last week with some friends who were talking about trump's presidential campaign and we all knew something fishy was going on lol but to think that he's actually been charged with 34 felony counts is wild... I'm so here for justice and accountability, especially after all the creepy comments he's made about women and the whole "Access Hollywood" tape... like what even is up with him?!

omg this is crazy like how far down the rabbit hole does it get? I mean I'm no lawyer but even if trump says he didn't do anything it still sounds super dodgy to me I've got friends who are all about him and they just can't see how this could've happened under his watch, like what's going on in that head of his

I'M SO SICK OF THIS NONSENSE!!! 34 FELONY CHARGES AGAINST DONALD TRUMP? IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO HIM!!! I MEAN, COME ON, A HUSH MONEY PAYMENT TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT AN AFFAIR?! IT SMELLS LIKE COVER-UP AND I'M ALL FOR IT!!!

AND THE WORST PART IS, HE'S BEEN DENYING ANY INVOLVEMENT IN ALL THESE YEARS! IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY, IT'S ABOUT THE LIE-BENNYING AND THE MANIPULATION. TRUMP HAS ALWAYS SEEN HIMSELF AS ABOVE THE LAW, BUT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE LAW IS CATCHING UP WITH HIM!!!

I DUNNO HOW LONG REPUBLICANS WILL BE ABLE TO STAND BY HIM THOUGH... HE'S BEEN A SHADOW OF THE SELF HE ONCE WAS AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY ABANDON SHIP. BUT FOR NOW, LET'S JUST ENJOY WATCHING TRUMP GET WHAT COMES TO HIM!!!

you know what's wild is that i just tried a new restaurant downtown and they have this amazing truffle fries i mean, who would've thought truffles would pair well with crispy potatoes? anyway, back to trump... i'm not sure how much more of these scandals the guy can take. does anyone think he'll end up on a reality tv show soon? maybe "the apprentice: prison edition"

I'm a bit shocked by this news , but at the same time I think we need to take a step back and breathe... 34 felony counts is a big deal , and it's not just about one payment or an alleged affair, it's about a pattern of behavior that raises serious questions. I'm trying to stay neutral here , but it's hard not to wonder how this happened . Trump's team says it's all part of a witch hunt, but the indictment paints a pretty clear picture . Either way, I think we need to keep an open mind and see where the investigation takes us . The American people deserve the truth, regardless of who's involved .

omg just read about trump getting charged with 34 felony counts and i'm like totally shook this is some crazy stuff, but at the same time, can't we all just take a deep breath and let the justice system do its thing? i mean, we've seen so many twists and turns already, it's hard to keep up with what's real and what's not. anyway, gotta wonder how trump's team plans on handling this... will they keep denying everything or start playing the victim card

I don’t usually comment but I gotta say, this is getting serious ... 34 felony counts? That's a whole lotta trouble for someone who was already pretty polarizing. I'm not saying he's guilty or anything (although the charges do seem pretty damning), but it's weird that he thought he could just sweep this under the rug and not get caught eventually .

I mean, what's next? Is this going to be like a never-ending episode of "The Apprentice" where everyone gets fired for some reason? Seriously though, if these charges are true, it's gonna be huge for his legacy and who knows maybe even his party. I'm curious to see how Republican lawmakers are gonna handle this... will they stand by him or bail out quick?

I don’t usually comment but... this whole thing is getting really crazy! Like, what's next? I don't get why people still support him after all these scandals... and now 34 felony counts? That's some serious stuff right there. I feel bad for his family too, they must be going through a nightmare trying to navigate all this.

I'm just wondering how Trump's lawyers are gonna spin this one... like, "oh, it was all just a misunderstanding" or something? And what about the Republican lawmakers who are distancing themselves from him? Will that even make a difference? It's all so messed up.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this... like, how did we even get here? The guy who used to be a reality TV star becomes president ?! And now he's being charged with 34 felony counts over some hush money thing? It just seems so... surreal. Like, what's the point of having a justice system if someone can just bribe their way out of trouble? I feel like we're living in some kind of alternate universe where the rules don't apply to people in power. And what about Michael Cohen? Is he going down too? This whole thing is just so... complicated. How much more evidence do we need before everyone starts talking about actual accountability?

can't believe this is really happening like what even happened with stormy daniels all those years ago? seems like trump was always trying to play by his own rules but now he's finally getting caught in them prosecutors are doing a great job holding him accountable and i hope justice is served. but still, the whole thing just feels so... familiar like we've seen this before with other politicians who thought they could get away with stuff. anyway, hopefully this indictment marks a new era of accountability for those in power

omg is this gonna be a super long trial lol?? i feel bad for michael cohen he got caught up in a huge mess with trump... and what about stormy daniels? she's been speaking out about this stuff for ages how did the investigators manage to get all these docs together after so many years? it's crazy that trump was directly involved in planning the hush money payment i hope his lawyers can prove that he didn't know anything... but at the same time, his sworn testimony vs the reality of the situation is super suspicious what do u think will happen to trump if he gets convicted?? will it really change how ppl see him?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this . It feels like just yesterday he was all about "draining the swamp" in DC. Now, it seems like he's at the center of a whole lot of trouble himself . I mean, 34 felony counts? That's some serious juice . The part that gets me is how Trump allegedly tried to cover his tracks and lie under oath about it. It's like, if you're gonna deny something, own up to it or don't do it in the first place .

As a fan of his presidency, it's hard not to feel kinda disappointed and disillusioned by all this . I know everyone's entitled to their opinions and whatnot, but can't we just get some straight answers around here? The whole thing feels like a big mess .