Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan for allegedly making “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This marks the first time that a former US president will be facing criminal charges in court.
According to the development, Trump is expected to surrender to the authorities in Manhattan according to his attorney Susan R. Necheles.
This is not the first time that the controversial American businessman turned politician has found himself in the middle of some controversy. Here is a list of some of his major controversies, while he was in office
Trump’s conspiracy theories
During his term as the president of the American Union, Trump was notorious for starting several conversations on an array of topics without substantial proof. He was even involved into promoting several theories which have been controversial. Donald Trump was specifically infamous for his denia of Climate Change. The Republican President was known for dismissing the scientific consensus on climate change. Such views are usually termed as denialism, or pseudoscience by the scientific community.
Besides, Trump was also famous for spreading misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also included certain racist statements.
Views on Immigration
While undertaking the promotional campaign leading up to the elections in 2016,Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.”
Besides the human rights activists and the democrat leaders, Trump was even criticised by his fellow republicans for his statements.
Credits – Al Jazeera
Russian Intervention
Special Counsel Robert Mueller conducted an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government to influence the election. The investigation also looked into potential obstruction of justice by Trump. The investigation did not find evidence of collusion, but did outline multiple instances of potential obstruction of justice.
Credits – The Guardian
Family separation policy
In 2018, the Trump administration implemented a “zero tolerance” policy that resulted in the separation of thousands of migrant children from their families at the US-Mexico border. The policy was widely criticised and eventually rescinded, but many of the families affected by it have yet to be reunited.
Credits – The New York Times
COVID-19
Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was widely criticized, particularly his downplaying of the severity of the virus in its early stages and his resistance to implementing measures like mask mandates and social distancing guidelines. Trump also faced criticism for spreading misinformation about the virus and promoting unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine.
Credits – BBC News
