Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges during a court hearing in New York on Tuesday.
The ex-US president then returned to Florida immediately after, where he told supporters the case was “an insult to our country”, reports the BBC.
He also criticised the judge and prosecutors and claimed – without evidence – the case against him was politically-motivated.
The 2024 White House contender is accused of falsifying business records to protect his 2016 election run.
The charges focus on an alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump.
New York prosecutors also detailed other alleged pay-offs to suppress potentially damaging stories, including to a doorman and another to a former Playboy model.
Judge Juan Merchan did not issue a gag order on Trump, but asked both sides to be mindful of their language and rhetoric.
Trump’s team will have until August to file any motions against the case. The next court hearing is set for December.
Meanwhile, Trump, the first US president to face criminal charges, did not have his mugshot taken at the courthouse on Tuesday.
The Associated Press and the New York Times both cite sources saying Trump only had his fingerprints taken for the record.
His lawyers had earlier argued that mugshot would be unnecessary, saying their client was among the world’s most recognisable faces.
However that hasn’t stopped his re-election campaign from selling $47 t-shirts with a fake black-and-white mugshot.
On social media, fake mugshots have also begun to circulate.
