Television crew across the street from the New York criminal court where former US president Donald Trump heard the charges against him on Tuesday. EPA
Television crew across the street from the New York criminal court where former US president Donald Trump heard the charges against him on Tuesday. EPA
Television crew across the street from the New York criminal court where former US president Donald Trump heard the charges against him on Tuesday. EPA
Television crew across the street from the New York criminal court where former US president Donald Trump heard the charges against him on Tuesday. EPA

World

UK

British television embraces return of the 'Trump circus'

Wall-to-wall coverage as former US president is arrested and charged

Tim Stickings
Tim Stickings

April 05, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

A bland courthouse corridor, a 16-page PDF and a brief shot of Donald Trump pushing open a door.

This was hardly the obvious television moment of the year but British media gave it the full works.

Mr Trump’s court date earned non-stop coverage from broadcasters including the BBC and Sky News as the world waited for news of his arrest.

Newspaper headline writers had some fun with “Donald in the dock” and “In the eye of the Stormy” as the drama dominated front pages.

From cameras in a courthouse to words like “district attorney” to the sight of a billionaire president in the dock, there was an air of Britain watching something alien.

UK leaders Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak may have been hit with police fines, but their offences were comparatively minor and carried more political than legal weight.

As Mr Trump remained out of view, the BBC had an explainer of terms like felony and arraignment that would sound strange or dated in a British case.

But British presenters had deeper questions: how serious were the charges, and how damaging for Mr Trump’s election prospects?

Names from the recent past appeared on the airwaves to offer answers.

There was Anthony Scaramucci, Mr Trump’s short-lived communications chief, saying pundits were being too clever by half if they thought the indictment would help the former president.

Then there was Michael Wolff, the author of tell-all books on the Trump White House, saying Mr Trump felt no sense of having done anything wrong as he sat in the courtroom.

The phrase “a sad day for America” was uttered several times as viewers were solemnly told Mr Trump was in the custody of the state of New York.

Another refrain was that hush money and dodgy receipts may not be the world’s most dire allegations but that Mr Trump might have more legal peril coming down the track.

Presenters barely knew what to say when the photo filtered through of Mr Trump in the courtroom. The image spoke for itself on the front of Tuesday’s Guardian, Daily Mirror and Daily Express.

TV channels scrolled through the 16-page charges once they were released by the Manhattan prosecutor, bringing such legalese as “to wit” and “the grand jury aforesaid” to British television screens.

One former MP found it all a bit much. “Does anyone in the UK really care that much, to justify this endless coverage, giving Trump exactly what he wants?,” asked former Middle East minister Alistair Burt.

Donald Trump appears in court - in pictures

  • Former US president Donald Trump appears in court in New York City with members of his legal team for an arraignment on charges from his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury after an inquiry into hush money paid to an adult film actress. Reuters
    Former US president Donald Trump appears in court in New York City with members of his legal team for an arraignment on charges from his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury after an inquiry into hush money paid to an adult film actress. Reuters
  • Mr Trump at the defence table with his team of lawyers. AP
    Mr Trump at the defence table with his team of lawyers. AP
  • Mr Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Reuters
    Mr Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Reuters
  • Mr Trump walks towards the Manhattan Criminal Court room in New York. EPA
    Mr Trump walks towards the Manhattan Criminal Court room in New York. EPA
  • The former president leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan criminal court in New York. AP
    The former president leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan criminal court in New York. AP
  • Mr Trump arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse after his indictment by a grand jury. Reuters
    Mr Trump arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse after his indictment by a grand jury. Reuters
  • Mr Trump arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AP
    Mr Trump arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AP
  • Mr Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York before a hearing during which he will face criminal charges. AP
    Mr Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York before a hearing during which he will face criminal charges. AP
  • Police gather outside the courthouse, where Mr Trump will be arraigned. Getty / AFP
    Police gather outside the courthouse, where Mr Trump will be arraigned. Getty / AFP
  • Supporters of the former US president protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York City. AFP
    Supporters of the former US president protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York City. AFP
  • A Trump supporter yells at members of the press outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
    A Trump supporter yells at members of the press outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
  • A Trump supporter holds a placard outside Trump Tower on the day of Mr Trump's planned court appearance. Reuters
    A Trump supporter holds a placard outside Trump Tower on the day of Mr Trump's planned court appearance. Reuters
  • Anti-Trump protesters unfurl a banner outside the court. Bloomberg
    Anti-Trump protesters unfurl a banner outside the court. Bloomberg
  • A person dressed as Mr Trump rides past Trump Tower. AFP
    A person dressed as Mr Trump rides past Trump Tower. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Trump argue with counter-protesters outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
    Supporters of Mr Trump argue with counter-protesters outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
  • A flag with an image of Mr Trump waves outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. Reuters
    A flag with an image of Mr Trump waves outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. Reuters
  • Opponents of Mr Trump protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
    Opponents of Mr Trump protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office. AFP
  • A supporter of former President Donald Trump protests outside Trump Tower in New York. AP Photo
    A supporter of former President Donald Trump protests outside Trump Tower in New York. AP Photo
  • People gather at Collect Pond Park to show their support, or lack thereof, for Mr Trump. EPA
    People gather at Collect Pond Park to show their support, or lack thereof, for Mr Trump. EPA
  • Supporters of Mr Trump stand near Trump Tower in New York, New York. EPA
    Supporters of Mr Trump stand near Trump Tower in New York, New York. EPA

Mr Trump is a disliked figure in Britain. He drew protests when he visited London as president and a poll in December found that 70 per cent in the UK had an unfavourable view of him.

But he found some defenders on the right-wing GB News channel, hosted on Tuesday evening by Trump ally and former Brexit campaigner-in-chief Nigel Farage.

While Mr Farage asked viewers to sympathise with Mr Trump, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg referred to “trumped-up charges” and a “kangaroo court”.

“The British judicial system is far superior to the American one, even though they tried to base it on ours,” said Mr Rees-Mogg.

Another right-leaning channel, TalkTV, summed up with a mixture of views at 8pm.

While pundits Russell Quirk and Jan Halper-Hayes thought the indictment would backfire on Democrats, left-wing consultant Mike Buckley thought it would hasten Mr Trump’s demise – “and that’s a good thing”.

Few editorials took Mr Trump’s side. The Daily Telegraph wrote of the return of the “Trump circus” and said the tawdry details of the scandal could damage Mr Trump’s standing among religious conservatives.

Writing in The Times, US editor David Charter said Mr Trump “remained strongly placed to be on the ballot” in 2014 despite his legal troubles and a “lacklustre campaign”.

The story remained at the top of the bulletin when radio listeners awoke to the BBC’s Today programme on Tuesday.

By this point, Mr Trump had spoken from his Mar-a-Lago base and the BBC felt forced to add a disclaimer that his speech “contained many falsehoods and untruths”.

It was one more familiar taste of the chaos of Mr Trump’s 2017-21 presidency.

Bringing the bulletin to an end, presenter Nick Robinson reflected on Mr Trump’s warning that America was “going to hell”.

“If it is, historians may note that that journey began with politicians going to war with each other about whether people could trust their legal system and could trust the rules of their democracy,” he said.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Updated: April 05, 2023, 9:42 AM
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