There are moments that make you wonder whether it’s real life or if you’re still dreaming about a particularly bizarre scenario from The Twilight Zone. On Tuesday, April 4, US President Donald Trump was arraigned in New York City. He surrendered to the authorities, faced criminal charges, and pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all of them.

As you could have expected, the internet went absolutely wild about the news and followed every single twist and turn. And the memes they served up are pure gold. Bored Panda has collected the funniest and most accurate ones to show you what the mood is like among some Americans. Upvote your fave memes as you scroll down.

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Internet users cooked up a ‘storm’ of memes (pun intended). It’s practically impossible to envision a timeline in which Trump’s arrest wouldn’t get so much attention. Love him or hate him, he’s a very high-profile figure. And with that level of scrutiny, his every move and word is going to get analyzed and interpreted by everyone, whether they oppose or support him.

Justice Juan Merchan had prohibited TV cameras from filming Trump’s arraignment inside the courthouse, in order to prevent chaos. However, outside. however, both the president’s opponents and supporters went wild. They shouted and waved signs.

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Trump pleaded ‘not guilty’ to 34 felony criminal charges during a court hearing on Tuesday, in NYC, something that more or less everyone had expected to happen. He was not handcuffed, nor was his mugshot taken? Afterward, he immediately flew back to Florida.

The BBC reports that the former president of the US told his supporters that the case against him was politically motivated and “an insult to our country.” Trump was very critical of the judge and the prosecutors.

In short, Trump is accused of falsifying business records in order to protect his 2016 presidential election run.

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Trump is accused of having allegedly had hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who had claimed that she had previously had an affair with him. If information like that would have gotten out, it might have damaged his presidential run back then. Meanwhile, prosecutors allege that there might have been other pay-offs. According to the BBC, these include a doorman and a former Playboy model.

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The former president’s team has until August 2023 to file motions against the case. Meanwhile, the next court hearing is set for December this year. So if you were hoping for a quick conclusion to this entire meme-worthy saga, you’re going to have to be incredibly patient. The case is likely to take years and years to wrap up.

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Trump hopes to run for president again in 2024. This is why he and his supporters claim that the case against him might be politically motivated. Meanwhile, his opponents argue that nobody, not even the president, is above the law, in a democratic society.

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One thing’s for sure: the current events have polarized the US even further. Tensions are high. While some are celebrating Trump’s arraignment and talking about justice, others are wondering whether things might have been taken slightly too far. NPR reports that Trump has been the very first US president to face criminal charges. For better or for worse, it’s a historic moment.

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According to Anthony Zurcher, the BBC’s North American correspondent, nearly everything went as expected on April 4. “The cards were already on the table when Donald Trump made his way to court on Tuesday. There were no charges of criminal conspiracy. There were no new crimes unearthed by the grand jury that remained hidden until the indictment was concealed. There was no expansive case,” he writes.

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“The case is what we thought it was, even if some of the evidence —of what prosecutors allege was a pattern of election influence—was new,” Zurcher explains, adding that the battle lines will “only harden” as the case proceeds. We're likely to see even more divisions among Republicans and Democrats in the near future.

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Somewhat ironically, on the very same day that Trump was charged with organizing a pay-off to adult film actress Daniels, she was ordered by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to pay more than $121,000 for his legal fees in an entirely different case.

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What are your thoughts on Trump’s arrest, dear Pandas? Which of these memes did you particularly enjoy? How do you think the case will turn out, and how will this affect the 2024 presidential run? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.