Donald Trump journeyed on Monday to New York where he is expected to be arraigned Tuesday after he became the first former president to face criminal charges.
“HEADING TO NEW YORK. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” the native New Yorker shared in an all-caps post to his Truth Social platform early Monday afternoon. Within a couple hours, he was landing in the Big Apple.
🚨#BREAKING: Former President Trump has just landed at LaGuardia airport
Former President Trump private jet has just landed at LaGuardia airport in New York city moments ago ahead where he will spend The Night At Trump Tower Ahead Of His Surrender Tomorrow To… pic.twitter.com/7mw4OvJFm7
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 3, 2023
The trip comes less than a week after the former president was indicted as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s investigation into the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election cycle in exchange for her silence regarding an alleged affair that Trump denies.
While Trump has criticized the inquiry as a “witch hunt” as he runs a third campaign for the White House, Bragg’s office has defended itself against claims of politicization.
45 DEPARTING PALM BEACH, FL… pic.twitter.com/Ck0547Awue
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) April 3, 2023
Trump departed from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida — where he now resides — sometime around noon on Monday. He drove past cheering supporters carrying American flags as well as pro-Trump flags.
“Unbelievable support for miles as we depart to New York!” tweeted Eric Trump, one of the former president’s sons, along with video from the motorcade.
Unbelievable support for miles as we depart to New York! pic.twitter.com/Qa0c2pXBip
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) April 3, 2023
Before long, Trump boarded the private plane that bears his name at Palm Beach International Airport, and took off on a flight to New York’s LaGuardia airport in Queens. After landing and traveling to Trump Tower in Manhattan, the former president could be seen waving to supporters as he entered the building. Trump is expected to stay overnight at Trump Tower.
President Trump smiles and waves at supporters as he arrives at Trump Tower.
Footage: @NJEGmedia pic.twitter.com/QrUrcXiWsJ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 3, 2023
Law enforcement officials in New York have already beefed up security. In addition, officials said some roads would be closed around Trump Tower in Midtown and the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, per PIX11.
New York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Trump's expected surrender to prosecutors https://t.co/QSvQhFhhWN pic.twitter.com/SlvPU5qTnc
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 3, 2023
Demonstrations, both in support of and against Trump, are already taking place in New York. The New York Young Republican Club said it plans to “peacefully rally” at Collect Pond Park with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), one of Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress.
“Protesting is a constitutional right and I am going to NY on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference,” Greene tweeted form her personal account. “I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us. You are not one of us, you are one of them. We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump.”
Protesting is a constitutional right and I am going to NY on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference.
I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one… https://t.co/7yfrFtj7sd
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 2, 2023
Come Tuesday, Trump is expected to voluntarily turn himself over to law enforcement, according to multiple reports. There is a great deal of anticipation, particularly among Trump’s critics, for a mugshot, but it appears that will not happen.
Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump in civil litigation, said not to expect handcuffs and also made the case for why a mugshot is not needed while speaking with conservative journalist Benny Johnson.
🚨BREAKING: Trump attorney @AlinaHabba reveals Trump will NOT be handcuffed, says mugshot still unknown:
"I don't really see the purpose in it. I think that they have a good argument that there doesn't need to be one."
SUBSCRIBE to The Benny Show: https://t.co/nyq1HbI8gn pic.twitter.com/M4y97fJmlE
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 3, 2023
A report from Yahoo News published Monday evening cited a source briefed on the procedure who said Trump will not be handcuffed, have his photo taken, or be placed in a jail cell before entering the courtroom.
Trump is expected to appear before a judge for his arraignment at 2:15 p.m. There, “We will very loudly and proudly say ‘not guilty,’” Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, told CNN.
Because the indictment is currently under seal, exactly what charges Trump faces remain unclear, but details may quickly come to light on Tuesday. The Yahoo News report claimed that Trump faces 34 felony counts for the alleged falsification of business records.
Trump’s legal team asked the judge to keep cameras out of the room, raising “grave concerns that audio/visual recordings of tomorrow’s arraignment will only further exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case.”
Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan issued a ruling denying a request by a coalition of news outlets for video coverage, but he will allow photographers to take still photos before the arraignment begins.
Judge Juan Merchan denies media coalition’s request for video coverage of tomorrow’s Trump arraignment; allows 5 pool cameras to shoot still photos until arraignment formally begins—and that’s it. pic.twitter.com/SrMN9yO3SZ
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) April 4, 2023
In an interview Sunday with ABC News, Tacopina said he did not know what to expect for Tuesday’s arraignment, considering the unprecedented nature of the case and different variables, including the Secret Service.
.@GStephanopoulos on arraignment: “What should we expect to see on Tuesday exactly?”
Former Pres. Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina: “This is unprecedented…I just don’t know what to expect to see.” https://t.co/ddTVFNWaSW pic.twitter.com/Ldw8GRNzyl
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 2, 2023
“What I hope is that we get in and out of there as quickly as possible, that it’s, at the end of the day, a typical arraignment where we stand before the judge, we say ‘not guilty,’ we set schedules to file motions and whatnot or discovery, and we move forward and get out there,” Tacopina said.
Tacopina also said he did not know if Trump planned to hold a press conference after the arraignment. Meanwhile, Bragg scheduled a press conference for 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at 3:30 following Trump's 2:15 arraignment. @abc7ny
— Derick Waller (@wallernyc) April 3, 2023
At some point on Tuesday the former president is expected to journey back to Florida. Trump’s re-election campaign announced on Sunday that the former president will deliver a public address from his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night. Those remarks were scheduled for 8:15 p.m. EDT.
There is speculation that the judge may place a gag order on Trump, limiting what he can say about the case outside of the courtroom. Trump’s legal team is looking to hire a First Amendment lawyer to “combat” efforts to silence him, a source told the Daily Mail.
As Trump began his voyage to New York on Monday, POLITICO reported that the former president hired white-collar defense attorney Todd Blanche as his lead counsel in the case. Trump’s adviser Jason Miller said the former president raised $7 million in the days following the indictment.