'Political persecution': Donald Trump on hush money case indictment

New York: Donald Trump issued a scathing response to his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, describing it as "political persecution" and election interference at the highest level in history and warning that the "witch-hunt" will backfire massively on US President Joe Biden.

The former US president was indicted on Thursday in a case involving alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The historic indictment is the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter and comes as 76-year-old Trump is mounting his third bid for the White House.

After it was reported that the Manhattan grand jury had voted to criminally indict him, Trump, a Republican, issued a wrathful response, denouncing it in a lengthy statement as "political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history." "From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the radical left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this country - have been engaged in a witch-hunt to destroy the 'Make America Great Again' movement," he said.

"You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this," the 76-year-old former president said in a statement.

Trump alleged that the Democrats have "lied, cheated and stolen" in their obsession with trying to "get Trump".

"But now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference," he said.

Trump called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a "disgrace".

"Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he's doing Joe Biden's dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!" he said.

He said that he believes this "witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden".

"The American people realise exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our movement, and our party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these crooked democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said.

"Never before in our nation's history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponising our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for president, has never happened before. Ever," he said.

The details of Thursday’s indictment have not been released—with Bragg saying that it will remain under seal for the immediate future Al Mason, a real estate businessman from New York and co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian-American Finance Committee told PTI, "It is 100 per cent political. Trump will emerge even stronger after this witch hunt. Never underestimate him."