Trump Hails 'Great Patriots' of NYPD, Manhattan Court

Former President Donald Trump praised the professionalism and positive decorum of New York police and Manhattan County Court officials one day after he surrendered to District Attorney Alvin Bragg's indictment, getting processed, fingerprinted, and arraigned.

"The GREAT PATRIOTS inside and outside of the courthouse on Tuesday were unbelievably nice, in fact, they couldn't have been nicer," Trump wrote in a campaign statement Wednesday.

"Court attendants, police officers, and others were all very professional, and represented New York City sooo well. Thank you to all!"

Trump pleaded "not guilty" to Bragg's indictment on 34 counts of falsifying business records, marking the first time a current or former president had been indicted. He surrendered to Bragg's DA office Tuesday, where he was booked, fingerprinted, and arraignment.

Trump was not issued a gag order, but he was admonished by Judge Juan Merchan for any past and future attempts to speak out against those who have sought to find a crime to indict him with after Bragg campaigned on a platform to "Get Trump," as Democrat legal expert Alan Dershowitz famously detailed in his recent book.

Merchan has been called out for an apparent conflict of interest because his own daughter has past working ties to Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting a concerted effort by the President Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration to damage Trump by indicting the political opposition.

Trump called out Merchan as a "Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife" in a speech Tuesday night, upon his return to Mar-a-Lago after the arraignment.

"I never thought anything like this could happen in America — ever thought it could happen," Trump began in his speech. "The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it."

Related Stories:

• Sen. Graham's Call to Help Trump: 'Don't Take This Anymore!'
• Rudy Giuliani to Newsmax: 'This Indictment Is a Piece of Junk'