Donald Trump turned himself in on Tuesday for a historic court hearing in New York that was held amidst high security and a media frenzy around the world. The Republican billionaire is the first American president to ever be charged with a crime.
The hearing, which is being broadcast live on television and features rival protesters rallying outside, is a turning point for the US criminal justice and political systems and has the potential to completely alter the 2024 presidential election, in which Trump is currently the presumptive Republican nominee.
The 76-year-old is anticipated to enter a not guilty plea to a number of allegations involving hush money given to a porn star prior to the 2016 election that put him in office.
Trump wrote on his True Social app as he travelled to the courthouse from Trump Tower, where he spent the night after flying from Florida, “Seems so SURREAL — OMG, they are going to ARREST ME.”
“Unbelievable that this is taking place in America. MAGA!”
The twice-impeached Republican is the first American president, current or past, to be charged with a crime, a development that has thrust the country into uncharted political territory.
Although cameras won’t be permitted during the hearing itself, American networks provided live coverage of Trump’s convoy as it made the short trip to court with police lining the streets and helicopters buzzing overhead.
After getting out of his car and entering the premises while being guarded by the US Secret Service, Trump waved to his followers. He was not taken on a “perp walk,” in which a defendant is led past news cameras while being restrained.
At the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, the former president was scheduled to go through the regular booking process of being fingerprinted and possibly photographed, which would produce an iconic mug shot.
The charges against him will subsequently be revealed to him at his arraignment, which is slated to begin at 2:15 PM (1615 GMT). According to his attorneys, Trump was expected to enter a not guilty plea on each charge.
Trump asserts that he is a victim of “political persecution,” but he is also using the legal battle to galvanise his base of supporters and raise millions of dollars for his campaign to retake the White House the next year.
One of his attorneys said that the man intends to address the media as he makes his way to court through the corridors.
Hours before the hearing, Trump called the judicial processes a “kangaroo court” in a post on Truth Social.
A large crowd of spectators, including media, inquisitive observers, and dozens of Trump fans and opponents, gathered outside the venue.
Officers entered the confrontation as the pro-Trump side hurled obscenities at counterprotesters as many were wearing “MAGA” hats and clothing with the American flag on them.
While Trump supporters raised a flag bearing the words “Trump or Death,” the anti-Trump camp unfurled a giant banner saying “Trump lies all the time” and screamed “Lock him up!”
The arraignment, which might last up to 15 minutes, is likely to reveal about 30 counts, including at least one felony.
After that, Trump is scheduled to fly directly back to Florida, where he will give a speech that evening.
In the case launched by Democrat-elected Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a grand jury indicted Trump last week.
The accusations centre on the inquiry of the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, only days before Trump won the election.
Former Trump attorney and adviser Michael Cohen, who has now turned against his former employer, claims that he set up the payment to Daniels in exchange for her quiet regarding an alleged tryst between the two in 2006.
The affair was denied by Trump, whose third wife Melania had just given birth at the time.
According to legal experts, if the payment is not properly accounted for, there may be penalties for fabricating corporate documents, possibly to hide a campaign funding infraction.
Between now and election day, a number of independent criminal investigations into Trump are ongoing at the state and federal levels. These investigations may lead to additional, more serious charges.
These include his attempts to get his Georgian election loss from 2020 overturned, his handling of sensitive information, and his potential role in the January 6, 2021 attack of the US Capitol.
President Joe Biden is one of the few Democrats holding back on the indictment of his adversary because he is aware that anything he says could support Donald Trump’s assertion that the judiciary has been turned into a “weapon.”
When asked on Monday if he believed in the judicial system, Biden only said, “Yeah.”
Nonetheless, Republicans have mainly united behind Trump, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against him in the party’s presidential primary and branded the indictment “un-American.”
