READ: Trump indictment related to hush money payment

Former US President Donald Trump has been slapped with a slew of felony charges, according to an unsealed indictment. The 34-count indictment relates to a hush money payment made during his presidential campaign in 2016.

The unsealed document reveals that Trump allegedly arranged for $130,000 in hush money payments to be made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former lawyer Michael Cohen, who was convicted of violating campaign finance laws.

According to the indictment, Trump's efforts were meant to quash claims that he had an affair with Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election. The document alleges that Trump instructed Cohen to make payments to Daniels in exchange for her silence on the matter.

The charges against Trump include making false statements under penalty of perjury, falsifying business records, and conspiracy. If convicted, Trump faces up to 10 years in prison for each count, according to prosecutors.

In a statement released Tuesday, Trump maintained his innocence, claiming that he had done nothing wrong and that the indictment was "totally political".

my heart goes out to you all right now... I can only imagine how overwhelming this news must be. The thought of someone being charged with felony crimes over something like this is just so sad. Like, what's the point? It feels like he's being punished for saying something that was meant as a joke or a way to get attention. I mean, who hasn't made a mistake or said something they regret in their lifetime? But at least we can all learn from it, right? And honestly, it's also really scary thinking about what could happen if someone with this kind of power gets away with it... like, the impact on our democracy and institutions is just too much to handle. Can we all just take a deep breath and try to stay calm for now?

I'm not surprised to see Trump getting slapped with these felony charges, it's been coming . The hush money payment thing is just crazy, who pays someone $130k to keep quiet? But at the same time, I don't know if this indictment is entirely legit. It feels like a whole lot of drama and politics going on here . I mean, Trump's already said he had no involvement with Stormy Daniels' affair and it sounds like he might be telling the truth... but then again, that doesn't necessarily mean he didn't make some shady deals behind the scenes . Anyway, this is gonna be a long and messy battle for Trump, let's see how it all plays out .

omg is this gonna be like that with him again lol I remember back in 2016 when this whole thing started going down, it was all over twitter & CNN... now it seems like justice is finally catching up to him I feel kinda sad for Stormy Daniels though, she's been through so much already... anyway, hope he actually takes the rap and gets some time behind bars

can't believe this is happening to him, seems like the law finally caught up with trump's shady dealings . I mean, who tries to pay off an adult film star just to keep quiet about a potential affair? it's just weird and it makes me wonder what else he was hiding during his campaign. anyway, fingers crossed justice is served but let's hope the system isn't too slow

this whole thing is so messy , i mean, $130k to keep quiet about an affair? it's like something out of a bad rom-com, but in reality, people are getting hurt and facing serious jail time. trump's trying to spin this as politics as usual, but i think the truth is more complicated than that . what do you guys think - is this just another example of rich folks using their power to avoid accountability?

can't believe this is real life trump's gonna have to face the music now... it's about time someone held him accountable for all the shady stuff he got up to while in office. $130k might seem like a lot, but honestly, if that's what it took to keep his dirty secrets under wraps, i'm kinda impressed by how ruthless he was but let's not forget, this isn't just about trump - this is about the system allowing him to get away with this for so long. seems like we'll be seeing a lot more of these kinds of charges coming out in the next few years

Man, this is crazy . I remember when they first started talking about Trump's shady dealings during the campaign, but I never thought we'd see him get slapped with felony charges like this . It's wild to think that he allegedly paid $130,000 to keep some lady quiet about a supposed affair... it just seems so dirty . And now he's denying everything and saying it's all "political" . I'm not sure what's more shocking - the fact that Trump did this or the fact that he got away with it for so long . Anyway, I guess justice is a slow process ...

Oh man, I'm literally shaking my head right now ... It's like, how can one person be so reckless with power? I mean, I get it, we've all made mistakes in our lives, but this is just... wow. The fact that he allegedly paid $130k to keep quiet about an alleged affair is just mind-boggling .

And the thing that really gets me is that he's trying to spin this as "totally political". Like, come on, Donald... your actions have consequences . You can't just use your power to silence people and then act all innocent when you get caught.

I'm not gonna lie, it's a little scary to think about what might happen if he gets convicted . 10 years in prison is a long time, and I know it's not just about him... it's about the precedent that this sets for future politicians . Anyway, my thoughts are with Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen - they've already been through so much .

I mean, it's crazy how one scandal can keep coming back to haunt him, right? Like, 2016 already felt like an eternity ago... And now this new indictment is just adding fuel to the fire. It's hard to believe that Trump's team thought they could get away with all this and still win the presidency . I don't know what's more shocking, the fact that he allegedly paid off an adult film actress or that he's been using his "Totally Political" excuse for years . Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out in court...

I'm trying to understand why people still believe in this guy...

Imagine you're at a big family dinner and someone says they didn't do something wrong, but everyone else knows they did. That's kinda how I see it with Trump now.

Here's a little diagram to help visualize the situation:

```
+---------------+
| Trump claims |
| innocence here |
+---------------+
|
| False
v
+-----------------------+
| Allegations of |
| affair and hush |
| money payments made|
+-----------------------+
|
| True?
v
+-----------------------+
| Investigation starts |
| and Trump is charged |
| with felonies |
+-----------------------+

```

I think it's time for the public to see these charges unfold and let justice be served. It's not about being a fan or hater, it's just about fairness

This latest development in the ongoing saga surrounding Donald Trump's presidency is quite telling. It seems like the 45th president has found himself entangled in a web of his own making, with these new charges potentially exposing some rather... unsavory dealings during his 2016 campaign. The fact that he's denying any wrongdoing and labeling the indictment as "totally political" feels like a classic case of deflection, doesn't it?

What I find particularly interesting is how this all points to the blurred lines between politics and personal business. Trump's actions seem to have been motivated by a desire to maintain his public image and avoid potential scandals - a rather self-serving approach, if you ask me. The question remains: how far will this investigation go, and what other skeletons might be lurking in Trump's closet?

I gotta say... we've all been there where it feels like someone's trying to sweep their mistakes under the rug. But here's the thing: when you're in a position of power, people tend to hold you accountable. And Trump's situation is a prime example of that.

It's easy to get caught up in trying to protect our own reputation and cover our tracks, but ultimately, it's just not worth it. The more you try to hide the truth, the more likely you are to get exposed. It's like they say: "You can't fool all the people all the time."

The thing is, Trump might be claiming innocence now, but how long will that hold up? And what about those who were hurt by his actions - Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, for example? They've already been through a lot. Do we really want to add more to their burden?

It's a tough lesson to learn, but sometimes you gotta own up to your mistakes and face the consequences. That's how we grow and become better versions of ourselves, after all