DailyExpertNews
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Donald Trump will officially become the first former president to face criminal charges on Tuesday when he is indicted in a New York courtroom — a performance expected to be swift and routine but represents a surreal and historic moment in American history.
Trump will arrive at the courthouse in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, where his arrest will be processed by the district attorney’s office and he will be taken to court to hear the charges against him.
News outlets will not be able to broadcast the arraignment live, a judge said Monday night, denying a request from several media organizations, including DailyExpertNews. However, five still photographers are allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing begins.
The indictment filed against Trump by a grand jury last week is also expected to be unsealed Tuesday, giving the public — and Trump’s legal team — the first details about the specific charges he faces. The investigation stemmed from a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Trump will speak in New York. Chris Kise, one of Trump’s lawyers, said he expects the former president to speak to the cameras in the hallway outside the courtroom before and after his arraignment, and several people familiar with Trump’s thinking tell DailyExpertNews that he has considered saying something while still in Manhattan. However, advisers have warned him that unplanned remarks put him at great risk of damaging his case.
Trump plans to fly back to Florida after his court appearance, and he will hold an event Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago that will give the 2024 Republican presidential election hopefuls a chance to respond to the allegations.
While Trump’s comments indicate how he plans to fight the allegations against him in the political arena, the former president is also preparing to battle in court: He added a new lawyer, Todd Blanche, to serve as lead attorney of his defense team on Monday.
The indictment by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg marks the first criminal charge against Trump, but it’s not the only potential legal problem for the former president: Special Counsel Jack Smith is still continuing an investigation into Trump’s role in the case of January 6, 2021. attack on the Capitol and the handling of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago. And a Fulton County special grand jury has completed its investigation into efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election.
Trump arrived in New York Monday afternoon, flying from Palm Beach on his jet. He stayed overnight at Trump Tower and will drive 4 miles south to the courthouse in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.
New York law enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service have been planning for weeks ahead of Trump’s appearance at the courthouse.
Trump is accompanied by the Secret Service all day. His arrest will be processed in the district attorney’s office, where his fingerprints will be taken. It’s still unclear whether a mugshot will be taken, sources told DailyExpertNews, as there are concerns it could leak out.
Trump will be taken through back hallways and elevators to the courthouse, which is in the same building as the district attorney’s office. He will walk down a public corridor to the courtroom where he will be charged.
