Donald Trump has been captured defiantly punching the air as he departed Trump Tower ahead of the first day of his historic US criminal trial, telling reporters: "This is an assault on America". The former president was seen departing Trump Tower in the direction of the Manhattan Courthouse on Monday morning, where the criminal trial is set to take place.
The charges in isolation are deemed misdemeanours, but have been elevated to felonies because Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, due to the fact they helped facilitate another crime – violating state or federal election laws.He now faces a maximum of four years in jail if he's found guilty of the allegations against him.However, it's also possible the former president could avoid jail time, instead being issued with a fine if convicted.