Trump Surrenders at NYC Courthouse

Donald Trump, the former president and leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination, arrived at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday to formally face criminal charges. This event marks a historic moment as he is the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges. Trump was indicted last week by a grand jury in Manhattan for a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. However, the specific charges remained undisclosed to the public.

Trump rode in a motorcade from his residence at Trump Tower to the courthouse before surrendering to the office of District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump maintained his innocence and is expected to plead not guilty during an arraignment proceeding before Justice Juan Merchan scheduled for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT). Donald Trump flew from Florida to New York on Monday for the hearing.

On social media, Trump’s attacks on Merchan resumed ahead of the court appearance. He also accused the political party in power of arresting its leading opponent for no crime in a fundraising email sent on Tuesday morning. The former president announced his bid for the presidency in 2024 in November, aiming to win and deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term in the White House after losing to him in the 2020 presidential election.

Amidst the noise of supporters and detractors, the court proceeding continued. Trump supporters disregarded barricades and rallied in a park across the courthouse, some wearing shirts that read “Trump 2024” while others carried signs reading, “Trump Won” and cheered as he arrived. On the other hand, opponents held signs saying, “Lock Him Up” with one protester dressed in a striped jail uniform behind bars.

The court appearance was expected to end quickly. Typically, individuals facing arraignment undergo fingerprinting and mugshot photography sessions. Joseph Tacopina, one of Trump’s many lawyers, confirmed on ABC that it wouldn’t be a long day in court. Legal experts believe any trial is at least a year away, and Trump’s indictment or conviction does not prevent him from running for president.

According to Yahoo News, Trump would face 34 felony counts for falsification of business records. However, this is yet to be confirmed officially. Five photographers were admitted to the courtroom before the arraignment, and Trump’s attorneys urged a judge to keep them out, fearing they could worsen the “circus-like atmosphere.”

Bragg, who led the investigation, set to give a press conference after the arraignment, faced Trump’s criticism. His office received bomb threats in recent weeks, but security officials found no verifiable threats related to the court appearance. Trump urged a change of venue on social media, claiming that Manhattan Criminal Court was an unfair venue, although it’s uncertain if his lawyers would argue for a change of venue during Tuesday’s court hearing.

Trump will return to Florida and give remarks from his Mar-a-Largo resort at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), according to his office.

Aside from the charges related to Daniels, Trump is under investigation by a local Democratic prosecutor in Georgia into whether he tried to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election in the state. Two other investigatory bodies, both led by a special counsel, are looking into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results after leaving office.