‘He had it coming’: World media react to Donald Trump’s unprecedented indictment
News organizations around the world headlined Friday with the sensational news that Donald Trump will be indicted over secret payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Headline writers made the most of the raunchy mix of a bombastic ex-president and unprecedented criminal charges tied to his former porn star ‘lover’ and a check for $130,000.
They questioned the strength of American democracy, the risk of violent riots by Trump supporters and even the possibility of his 2024 presidential bid being strengthened.
Germany’s respected Der Spiegel led the coverage in its international edition with a commentary headlined “He had it coming.” In France, Le Monde drew attention to the unprecedented nature of the charges: “Trump becomes the first former US president to be impeached.”
Newspapers in the UK scrambled to run the story in their latest editions after news of the indictment broke at around 10:30 p.m. local time. The London Times updated its second edition with the front-page headline: ‘Trump to be arrested in historic move to impeach ex-president.’
The Diaro dotted an image of Donald Trump in front of a row of American flags. In Poland, the headline of the popular tabloid Super Express (right) roughly translated as “Spook of arrest, strengthened Trump.”
In Britain, a Guardian writer asked: “What does Donald Trump’s impeachment say about American democracy?”
Germany’s respected Der Spiegel included a commentary in its international edition entitled “He expected it.”
The BBC, one of the world’s most widely read news websites, said in a commentary that Trump’s impeachment “is shocking the political landscape.”
The Daily Telegraph headlined their story: ‘Trump cashed in on a porn star’.
Europe’s most popular newspapers carried images of the former president on their front pages and raised questions about the stability of American democracy and the possibility of riots following the impeachment.
Italy’s Repubblica spoke about the ‘risk of street violence’. The front page of El Correo de España was dominated by a large image of the president, titled simply: ‘Trump, imputado’ (Trump accused).
The news also dominated the front page of El País, another of the most widely read newspapers in Spain, with the headline: ‘Donald Trump, the first US president indicted’.
In Poland, the popular tabloid Super Express published an earlier photo of Trump with his arms raised in celebration, captioned: ‘Widmo aresztowania, wzmocnito Trumpa’ (Spectre of arrest, Trump strengthened).
Italy’s La Repubblica published a photo of Trump on its front page. An article published by the newspaper referred to the “street violence risk” of Trump supporters over the charges.
The front page of El Correo de España was dominated by a large image of the president, titled simply: ‘Trump, imputado’ (Trump accused)
The news also dominated the front page of El País, another of the most widely read newspapers in Spain, with the headline: ‘Donald Trump, the first US president indicted’.
Trump, 76, will be arraigned in Manhattan at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on a series of trade fraud charges related to 2016 hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The news broke around 5:30 pm ET. Even Trump and his closest aides were surprised by the indictment, after many assumed the charges were frozen after the Manhattan grand jury announced a month-long hiatus.
Judge Juan Merchan was seen arriving at the Manhattan criminal court last night in casual clothing, flanked by two security officers, leading many to believe he had been handpicked on the case.
Merchan previously presided over the Trump Organization fraud trial, where the family business was fined $1.2 million on a variety of charges.
On Friday morning, Trump took to Truth Social to complain that Merchan “hates” him and that Bragg and his cronies had “handpicked” him.
The Times of London updated its front page to include the news in its second edition. Several British newspapers rushed to update their front pages after the news broke around 10:30 p.m. local time.
Another story on the Times website told the raunchy story of ‘the porn star and the president’
The Daily Telegraph, in the UK, headlined their article ‘Trump charged for paying porn stars’
The international response came as newsstands across the United States were dominated on Friday with front pages about the unprecedented impeachment of a former US president.
Meanwhile, anti-Trump protesters gathered outside Trump Tower in Manhattan to celebrate the impeachment. They held up protest signs reading “lock him up,” a play on their supporters’ old chants about Hillary Clinton.
The indictment against him marks the first time a United States president has been criminally charged. Trump and his lawyers say it is a political witch hunt designed to hurt his chances in the 2024 election.
President Biden declined to comment when approached by reporters outside the White House.
Trump and his wife Melania were captured just hours after a grand jury recommended that he be indicted over a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
The former president and favorite to be the Republican candidate in 2024 said he is ‘completely innocent’