Trump faces a maximum of 136 years in jail as unsealed indictment reveals 34 FELONY charges for 'catch and kill scheme' that included '$30,000 hush money to Trump Tower doorman who claimed Donald had a child out of wedlock'

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Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 counts of falsifying business records as he faced a New York judge - and became the first President of the United States to be arraigned and charged with a crime.

'Not guilty,' Trump said when asked how he pleaded. 

Trump, 76, sat alongside his defense team in the Manhattan courtroom with his hands folded on his lap and a stony-faced look for the unprecedented hearing in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

The charges are related to a $30,000 payoff to a doorman trying to sell information about a child that Trump allegedly fathered out of wedlock; $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, and a $130,000 payment to Daniels. 

The prosecution claims the incidents show Trump plotted to buy damaging stories about himself to keep it under wraps and help his chances of winning the 2016 presidential race. 

Donald Trump made history on Tuesday when he stood in a Manhattan court and became the first former President of the United States in history to be indicted on criminal charges

'It's not just about one payment,' District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a press conference after the hearing. 'It is 34 business records - 34 false statements and business records. They were concealing criminal conduct.'

All together, the charges - falsifying business records in the first degree - carry a maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison under New York law, but even if convicted on all charges, it's unlikely Trump would be sentenced to that much time. Each charge is a low-level felony that carries a maximum of four years in prison for each count.

There was no formal conspiracy charge, but the state of facts released by prosecutors describes how Trump 'orchestrated a scheme' with others 'to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the Defendant's electoral prospects.' 

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy argued the payments were part of 'an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined' Trump's presidential campaign.

The hearing lasted about an hour. Judge Juan Merchan did not put a gag order on Trump but did warn him not to post anything on social media that could cause unrest among his supporters. 

The former president was silent as he entered the courtroom and then as he left. He was released on his own recognizance. The next court hearing is set for December 4th.

Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, after the hearing, told reporters: 'This was not a good day.' 

'There's nothing the indictment itself. It is boilerplate. It doesn't allege any federal crime and the state crime that's been violated. It doesn't allege what the false statement is, and it's really disappointing. It's sad and we're going to fight it. We're going to fight it hard.'

Tacopina said Trump is 'frustrated. He's upset, but I'll tell you what, he's motivated. And it's not going to stop him, and it's not going to slow him down.'

During the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan ordered both sides to calm down after prosecutors complained about Trump's recent social media posts, including one of him holding a baseball bat against the head of the top prosecutor in the case.

Dino Sajudin, a former Trump doorman, claimed the president had a love child and was paid hush money.

Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep quiet about an affair - which he denies.

Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels - the case is tied to $130,000 hush money payments made to Daniels

President Trump with his defense team in Manhattan court: (left to right) Todd Blanche, Susan Necheles, Joe Tacopina and Boris Epshteyn

A stony-faced former President Donald Trump snubbed reporters and walked silently into the courtroom after being fingerprinted and processed at the New York Criminal Court Tuesday afternoon

Judge Merchan told the court: 'I'd encourage counsel for both sides to speak to your witnesses, defense counsel speak to your client and remind them to please refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence and civil unrest.'

'Don't engage in words or conduct which could jeopardize the rule of law as it applies to these proceedings in this courtroom.'

Judge Merchan said he was not issuing a gagging order as had been mooted as Trump is a 'candidate for President of the United States' and his 'First Amendment rights are critically important.'

He also noted that Trump is a 'candidate for President of the United States' and his 'First Amendment rights are critically important.'

But the judge disagreed that 'certain language is justified by frustration.'

Trump attorney Todd Blanche had told the judge that some of the former president's harsher statements on social media resulted from his frustration because he 'believes a grave injustice' was being done.

As part of Tuesday's court process, Trump surrendered, was placed under arrest and fingerprinted. He avoided handcuffs and being placed in a cell but glared at the cameras as he made his way from the booking area to face the judge. 

He did not have his mug shot taken. And he did not have to pay bail to be released. 

In the courtroom, the former president had at least four lawyers from his large legal team. Seated on either side of him were attorneys Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche.

Joe Tacopina, who has been appearing on television talk shows on Trump's behalf, was seated there, as was longtime adviser Boris Epshteyn. Epshteyn also is under investigation for his role in the attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. 

Trump adviser Jason Miller was seen walking into court behind the former president, and longtime aide Walt Nauta was also there.

At the end of the hearing, Trump spoke briefly to his lawyers before turning to the door and walking slowly out, staring ahead and not meeting anyone's gaze with four Secret Service agents and eight lawyers behind him.  

Ahead of the arraignment, Trump expressed disbelief about his situation. 

While his motorcade drove him from Trump Tower to downtown Manhattan early Tuesday afternoon, he posted on Truth Social that he couldn't 'believe this is happening in America'. 

The president didn't speak in public but raised his fist in a gesture to the crowd - and the cameras.  

Judge Juan Merchan ruled against cameras in the courtroom - depriving the former reality TV star of a made-for-television moment - but allowed still photographers inside to take photos. 

Trump had been defiant ahead of the arraignment hearing, declaring himself to be the victim of a weaponized legal system and a political target by Democrats who don't want to see him win another term in the White House.

The case, based on prosecutor statements and a statement of facts document, appears to involve three different payments, two of which involve the National Enquirer and one of which involves a $130,000 hush-money payment that his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in the final days of the 2016 campaign. 

The first involved the Enquirer paying $30,000 to Dino Sajudin, a former Trump Tower doorman, who claimed that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock. The tabloid later determined that was not true.

The Enquirer then made another payment to Karen McDougal, Playboy's playmate of the year in 1998. She wanted  to sell her story of an affair with Trump during the 2016 campaign. The tabloid paid her $150,000 for rights to her story and then suppressed it — a practice known as 'catch and kill.'

The third involves the payment to Daniels. 

Cohen said he made the payment at Trump's direction to ensure Daniels would not go public with her story of a sexual encounter with the married Trump. 

Trump reimbursed Cohen while he was president and prosecutors said that is when the fraud accord. Trump's company falsely classified the repayment to Cohen as legal expenses but prosecutors say there were no such expenses. 

The alleged affair with Daniels happened in 2006, long before Trump entered politics, and shortly after his wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. 

Trump denies both affairs with both McDougal and Daniels. He also denies any legal wrongdoing.

The former president waves to waiting crowds before walking into the Manhattan District Attorney's office to be processed

Donald Trump raises his fist as he leaves Trump Tower on the way to the Manhattan Criminal Court to turn himself in

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is seen walking into the courtroom on the 15th floor ahead of Trump's arraignment 

Ahead of the trial, Trump took an aggressive approaching, demanding his supporters rise up in protest and attacking Bragg, a Democrat.

He called Bragg a 'racist in reverse.' He also claims Bragg is funded by billionaire George Soros, who many conspiracy theorists claim is using his money to control world events.

'Bragg is a (Soros) Racist in Reverse, who is taking his orders from D.C. I beat them TWICE, doing much better the second time, and despite their DISINFORMATION campaign, they don't want to run against 'TRUMP' or my GREAT RECORD!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last month.

Soros, who made his fortune in hedge funds, said he never contributed to Bragg's election campaign. Soros has become a figure of hate for Trump and his allies.

The former president also pushed for the case to be moved from Manhattan to the more Republican-friendly Staten Island just hours before his historic arraignment. 

Trump tore into the judge's supposed anti-Trump sentiment on Truth Social and said the new location would be 'very fair and secure.'

He also noted that Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, Loren Merchan, worked for Vice President Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign, deepening the alleged bias against him.

Judge Merchan's daughter Loren worked as the director of digital for Harris' 2020 presidential campaign. She was with the campaign from February 2019 until December of the same year.

Loren Merchan concluded her work with the campaign to move to fill the same role at Authentic, a digital strategies firm for progressives. 

And polls show Trump's strategy may be working as he is more popular than ever with Republican voters and getting a massive political boost as he seeks a second term in the White House.

National polls and state surveys in New Hampshire and Massachusetts show voters are still supporting his third bid for president.

Trump leads his closest competition, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by double digits. 

DeSantis originally took a few digs at Trump - saying he didn't know what went into paying hush money to porn stars - but as polls showed Trump's popularity, the Florida governor switched tactics, saying he would block New York if it attempted to extradite Trump. 

During his short drive between Trump Tower and court, the former president expressed disbelief that he was about to be arrested 

Trump's arraignment hearing lasted about an hour

Bragg arrives at his office on Tuesday morning ahead of the historic arraignment that is the first step in a career-defining case for him 

Protesters clashing outside of One Hogan Place, New York, NY, Tuesday April 4th, 2023. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, flanked by security, led Trump supporters in protest

Shamed Congressman George Santos arriving at the courthouse on Tuesday ahead of Trump's indictment 

The former president voluntarily went to Manhattan and appeared in court, meaning an extradition attempt was unnecessary. Other Republicans have spoken in Trump's defense, saying the former president is a victim of politics. 

Additionally, Trump's campaign said it had raised $10 million since news of his pending indictment broke. On Tuesday morning, it sent out another appeal, titled 'My last email before arrest.'

A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. 

Defiance and defensive attacks are the cornerstones of any Trump strategy - tactics he has used throughout his business career, his two presidential runs, and his time in the White House. 

It helped him when he was impeached twice by the U.S. House of Representatives - but he was never convicted in the U.S. Senate.

The former president faces other possible indictments: the Justice Department is investigating him on two separate cases: the discovery of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home and attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Georgia is also examining Trump's attempts to overturn the election results there.

The only other U.S. president charged with a crime was Ulysses S. Grant, arrested in 1872 for speeding down the streets of Washington, D.C., in his horse and buggy. He was taken to jail and paid a $20 fine.