DONALD Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 elections, at a historic court hearing in New York.

The 76-year-old Republican former president faces dozens of counts in the case, which threatens to upend the 2024 White House race.

Trump turned himself in Tuesday for a historic New York court hearing held amid tight security and a global media frenzy, as the Republican billionaire became the first American president in history to face criminal charges.

In a spectacle playing out on live television – with rival protesters rallying outside – the hearing marks a watershed moment for the US criminal and political system, with the potential to upend the 2024 White House race in which Trump is currently the leading Republican nominee.