Former United States President Donald Trump is set to appear before a specially secured Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday to be arraigned on history-making criminal charges related to paying hush money to a porn star before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence.
Trump, the first former US President to face a criminal charge, would surrender before Judge Juan Merchan. American media quoted Trump's attorneys as saying that the 76-year-old Republican leader, eying the White House for a second time in 2024, will plead not guilty to the criminal charges he is facing in connection with hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump flew to New York City in his Boeing 757 aircraft from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday and arrived at the La Guardia airport.
His motorcade then made its way to the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in Manhattan where he stayed overnight.
Streets around the high-end Trump Tower have been cordoned off, with heavy police presence in and around the area.
The former President waved at scores of his supporters as he came out from the SUV and was escorted immediately inside the building.
After his court appearance, Trump will immediately fly back to Florida where he will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in the evening.
The arraignment proceeding is expected to be brief. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes.
Trump has denied all wrongdoings in connection with the payments made to Stormy Daniels, 44, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in the indictment, according to US media reports.
Security was tightened in New York, in particular the courthouse in lower Manhattan, as hundreds of Trump's supporters have landed in the city to rally behind him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has warned against any breaking of law and order.
Hours before his arraignment, Trump sent an email to his supporters, which he claimed was the last one before his arrest, saying that the United States is becoming a 'Marxist Third World' country and went on social media questioning the fairness of the judiciary.
'My last email before my arrest,' Trump said in the subject line of the email.
'Today, we mourn the loss of justice in America. Today is the day that a ruling political party ARRESTS its leading opponent for having committed NO CRIME,' Trump wrote.
'As I will be out of commission for the next few hours, I want to take this moment to THANK YOU for all of your support. I am blown away by all of the donations, support, and prayers we have received. It's sad to see what's happening - not for myself - but for our country,' he said.
In less than 24 hours after being indicted he raised over more than $4 million.
Soon after his arrival at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building, The New York Times reported, he will be arrested and fingerprinted.
'However, special accommodations will be made for the former President: He will spend only a short time in custody before his court appearance, and he likely won't be handcuffed or have a mugshot taken,' the daily said.
'At the arraignment, Mr Trump is expected to enter a not guilty plea himself, rather than through his lawyers, as an act of defiance in keeping with his approach to the day, according to people with knowledge of his thinking,' the paper said.
The investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office began when Trump was still in the White House and relates to a $130,000 payment made by his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier.
Trump has denied the affair.
Trump's lawyers on Monday urged Judge Merchan not to allow cameras inside the courtroom.
'We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence,' his lawyers wrote in a letter said to Judge Merchan.
'News outlets will not be allowed to broadcast Trump's arraignment,' the judge said Monday night, but he will allow some photographers to take pictures in the courtroom before the proceedings formally begin.
'WITCH HUNT,' Trump, a Republican, wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly before travelling from his home in Florida on Monday.
The indictment comes as Trump faces legal hurdles in other potential criminal cases.
Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the 2024 Republican White House nomination.
But there is nothing in the US law that prevents a candidate, who is found guilty of a crime, from campaigning for and serving as President -- even from prison.
Trump was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Trump and his aides are using the indictment to rile up his supporters and bolster his 2024 re-election campaign.
It's hard to believe that I will be ARRESTED tomorrow as a result of the most disgraceful witch hunt in our nation's history, a Trump Campaign mail titled Tomorrow, I will be arrested' said, as it urged voters to make a contribution to his campaign given that the fate of our Republic is on the line .
Trump's team claimed that he has raised over $4 million in the 24 hours following Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's 'unprecedented political persecution of the President, and blatant interference in the 2024 election against the leading Republican presidential candidate'.
President Joe Biden, who was travelling to Minnesota, refrained from commenting on the legal battle that his predecessor is facing. Talking to reporters in Minneapolis, he exuded confidence that law and order would be maintained in New York City.
I have faith in the New York Police Department, Biden, a Democrat, said.
Alina Habba, who represents Trump in several civil matters, spent time with the former president in New York today and said,
He's in good spirits. Honestly, he's as he normally would be. He's ready to go in and do what he needs to do tomorrow.
Habba, appearing on Fox News was asked about the game plan for Trump's appearance in court in Manhattan on Tuesday and said, It's all mapped out.
She added, Barring any surprises, I think that it should be smooth. We're trying to coordinate and cooperate with everybody to make sure that there are no problems.
On whether Trump can get a fair trial in Manhattan, Habba said, "No, no. I think it's very difficult. I'd like to have faith in this state, but I've been practicing for him now for a couple of years and gone to court in New York for a few years, and I can tell you, it's not the same as representing anybody else."
