What to Know
- Former President Donald Trump is set to face a Manhattan judge Tuesday for arraignment on charges contained in a still-sealed grand jury indictment; he is expected to return to Florida later in the day and deliver a public address from Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.
- The indictment, which marks the first criminal charges against a U.S. president, sitting or former, in history, is tied to the hush money case involving Stormy Daniels and payments Michael Cohen allegedly made on his behalf in 2016; Trump denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
- Besides the hush money case in New York, Trump faces separate criminal investigations in Atlanta and Washington over his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election.
BREAKING UPDATE: Trump Pleads Not Guilty to 34-Count Indictment in Manhattan
Donald Trump waved to throngs of people, some decrying his arrest, others cheering it, as he arrived at the Manhattan district attorney's office Tuesday, where he surrendered ahead of a historic court moment that will see him become the first-ever criminally indicted U.S. president.
The one-time commander-in-chief posted a message on his Truth Social account as his motorcade left Trump Tower, writing, "Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Details of the indictment, including whether it may include felony counts, have remained sealed since the grand jury vote late last week, though sources familiar with the matter say it includes about 30 counts of document fraud-related charges tied to the hush money investigation involving payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Trump, who has blasted the district attorney's probe as a "witch hunt" and called for Alvin Bragg's removal from office, has consistently denied wrongdoing. Late Monday, the judge in his case, Judge Juan Merchan, ruled that no video cameras would be permitted inside court and while phones and laptops are OK, they cannot be used -- meaning the public will have to wait until after the arraignment, which is expected to be brief, to learn the ramifications.
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina had said the defense may ask Merchan for a brief recess if the district attorney's office provided a copy of the indictment when the former president and his team arrived at the building. That would afford Trump's lawyers at least some time to review the paperwork before the arraignment, Tacopina said.
It appears that request was accommodated, which led to a minor delay in the scheduled arraignment. Separately, senior security officials say the upper floors of the courthouse are being cleared of all other operations and hearings. A security sweep will be conducted before members of the press are permitted into the building.
The 76-year-old Trump may issue a brief statement to reporters lining the hallway, where cameras are allowed, before he heads inside the courtroom, his lawyers said Tuesday morning.
Trump Arraignment Day: Scenes From Manhattan Courthouse
The former president's motorcade headed downtown just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the caravan departing from Trump Tower, where crowds converged throughout the day Monday and overnight for his arrival.
Once Trump formally surrendered, he was to be informed of his arrest by a member of the district attorney's office, fingerprinted and arraigned on the 15th floor, Part 59 in the Manhattan Criminal Court building, the same courtroom where Harvey Weinstein was tried and convicted of rape and sexual assault in February 2020.
The mugshot question remained up in the air as of late Monday, but as of Tuesday afternoon, it appeared none would be taken. While that would be part of the typical booking process, Trump isn't your typical defendant.
Tacopina said Tuesday that the twice-impeached Trump wouldn't plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He said he didn't believe the case would ever make it to a jury, but he conceded, “Really, there’s a lot of mystery here because we’re doing something that’s never been done before.”
The former commander-in-chief will not be handcuffed, nor will he be kept in a holding cell, sources with knowledge of the plans have said. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has declined comment.
After the arraignment, Trump is expected to be released by authorities because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set. He will then return to LaGuardia Airport, where his private plane landed a day ago, and fly back to Florida ahead of an anticipated evening public address from Mar-a-Lago.
Trump Arraignment Draws Intense NYC Security
Rolling street closures are expected throughout Manhattan over the course of the day, and more roads may be shut down at the discretion of the NYPD. Mayor Eric Adams appeared alongside NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell ahead of the arraignment to urge people who choose to demonstrate to do so peacefully, including ardent Trump ally U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted last week her intent to rally outside court in person on Tuesday.
Hundreds, from media to gawkers to supporters and protesters are flanking the streets outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse and Trump Tower, where NYPD barricades have been in place since last week. An NYPD bus and other vehicles were added to the line of defense Monday and were expected to stay there for much of Tuesday.
The department's 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees have been ordered to report in uniform and prepare to deploy as needed since Friday, and that precautionary mandate will likely remain in effect through early this week.
What Happens Next?
New York’s ability to carry out safe and drama-free courthouse proceedings in a case involving a polarizing ex-president could be an important test case as prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington conduct their own investigations of Trump that could also result in charges.
Those investigations concern efforts to undo the 2020 election results as well as the possible mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Top Republicans, including some of Trump’s potential rivals in next year’s GOP presidential primary, have criticized the case against him. Trump has insisted he will run in 2024 regardless of the outcome of the case. Neither an indictment nor a conviction, even on a felony charge, would preclude him from tossing his hat in the ring once again.
Prosecutors haven't said whether they would seek jail time in the event of a conviction.
Meanwhile, Trump pollster John McLaughlin said the former president would approach arraignment day with "dignity."
“He will be a gentleman,” McLaughlin said. “He'll show strength, and he'll show dignity and ... we'll get through this and win the election.”
But Trump was also defiant. In a post late Monday night on his social media network, he lashed out at President Joe Biden, suggesting the current president should be facing legal troubles of his own.
Biden, who has yet to formally announce that he’s seeking reelection next year, and other leading Democrats have largely had little to say about it. Asked about the matter Tuesday, the White House said the president was focused on the American people, not matters related to Trump.
More Coverage
Eric Tucker, Michael R. Sisak and Will Weissert of the Associated Press contributed to this report
