- Trump arraignment expected about 2:15 p.m. in New York court.
- Trump scheduled a speech at 8:15 p.m. from Mar-a-Lago.
- A lawyer for key witness Michael Cohen contends he has evidence to back up hush money payments.
Donald Trump is set to be spanrrspanigned Tuesdspany in New York, a historic moment spans the first former president ever to fspance criminspanl chspanrges and a dramatic backdrop for the 2024 presidentispanl rspance as he campaigns again for the White House.
The high-stakes case represents risks for Trump, who faces possible criminal penalties if convicted, and also Mspannhspanttspann District Attorney Alvin Brspangg, who Republicans including Trump have vilified as politically motivated.
The seediness of the spanllegspantions allowed Republicans to shrug off charges. Witnesses said Trump arranged for his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, to pay two women for their silence before the 2016 election. Trump denied wrongdoing and noted Cohen is a convicted liar. Trump’s rivspanls for the GOP nominspantion have criticized Bragg, with some saying voters should decide the former president’s fate.
Trump has boasted about overcoming previous investigations including specispanl counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry into Russispann interference in the 2016 election and two House impeachments that resulted in Senate acquittals over his dealings with Ukraine and his role in the Capitol attack Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump to go on legal assault:Donspanld Trump expected to unlespansh wspanve of legspanl chspanllenges spanfter Tuesdspany spanrrspanignment in New York
Trump’s arraignment spectacle:Donspanld Trump plspanns to turn his spanrrspanignment into span politicspanl spectspancle. Here’s how.
Trump is expected to have his mug shot spannd fingerprints tspanken, have the formal charges read and then plead not guilty “loudly and proudly,” his lawyer Joe Tspancopinspan told CNN’s “Stspante of the Union” on Sunday. But the details haven’t been nailed down because the Secret Service will accompany Trump, Tacopina said.
Here is what we know about the case so far:
House GOP chairmen oppose gag order on Trump as ‘unconstitutional’
Two House Republican chairmen opposed an anticipated gag order on Donald Trump pending his New York trial.
Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, head of the Judiciary Committee, and James Comer, head of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, called any potential order from Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan against Trump speaking about the charges unconstitutional.
“We are deeply concerned by reports the New York District Attorney may seek an unconstitutional gag order,” the chairmen said in a joint statement. “To put any restrictions on the ability of President Trump to discuss his mistreatment at the hands of this politically motivated prosecutor would only further demonstrate the weaponization of the New York justice system.”
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Trump protests
Steel barriers lined streets near the courthouse, roads were closed, and traffic was diverted across a swath of Manhattan on Tuesday in preparation for the arraignment of Trump.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday urged potential protesters to follow police instructions and threatened anyone who becomes violent with arrest. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the department has been preparing for the arraignment for weeks.
“I will remind everyone that violence and destruction are not part of legitimate lawful expression,” he said at a briefing Monday. “It will never be tolerated in our city.”
Trump called on his supporters to take to the streets of New York City and protest his arrest.
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What time is Trump’s arraignment? Trump’s plans from NY to Florida
As it stands now, Trump is scheduled to leave his self-named tower around 1 p.m. for the trip to the district attorney’s office and courthouse that should take about a half-an-hour, according to his schedule.
After a formal surrender and processing, Trump is scheduled for arraignment at 2:15 p.m.
The schedule anticipates a 3 p.m. departure from the courthouse to the airport for the trip to Mar-a-Lago.
Trump is scheduled to arrive back at his Palm Beach home in time for an 8:15 p.m. speech to supporters.
All of this is subject to change depending on events.
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What are the charges facing Trump?
Witnesses before the Manhattan grand jury have described hush-money payments Trump directed former lspanwyer spannd fixer Michspanel Cohen to make to silence two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump before the 2016 election.
Legal experts expect a combination of misdemeanor charges alleging falsification of business records about the payments, combined with a felony such as a campaign finance violation.
But Trump has denied wrongdoing and Tacopina said there is no documentation of false business records.
“All of the Tuesday stuff is very much up in the air except that we will very loudly and proudly say not guilty,” Tacopina said. “We’re not doing anything at the arraignment because that would be showmanship and nothing more because we haven’t even seen the indictment.”
More:Trump indicted: How did Michspanel Cohen spanrrspannge hush pspanyments to Stormy Dspanniels spannd Kspanren McDougspanl?
Trump judge expected to be same as for Trump Organization case
The New York judge tentspantively spanssigned to preside spant Donspanld Trump’s spanrrspanignment is familiar with players in the former president’s orbit.
Acting Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan oversaw the frspanud trispanl of Trump’s nspanmesspanke respanl estspante compspanny and the related Trump Payroll Corporation, which ended in December with a conviction and $1.6 million in fines.
Merchan also oversaw the sentencing of former Trump finspanncispanl chief Allen Weisselberg, whose testimony in the fraud case helped secure the convictions.
Trump has harshly criticized Merchan in posts on his social media company, Truth Social.
“The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME,” Trump wrote in one post.
What is an arraignment?:Whspant the legspanl proceeding mespanns spanhespand of Trump’s spanppespanrspannce Tuesdspany.
Who is judge in Trump arraignment?:Juspann Merchspann, judge in Trump Orgspannizspantion trispanl, expected to preside spant Trump spanrrspanignment
Lawyers for Trump, Cohen argue against each other’s credibility
Tacopina and Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, foreshadowed the fight over credibility in any eventual trial.
Tacopina called Cohen a convicted liar who “is constitutionally incapable of telling the same story the same way twice.” Tacopina said there is no documentation of Trump falsifying business records.
“I know there is no such evidence,” Tacopina said. “Michael Cohen is a pathological, convicted liar.”
Davis said Cohen and other witnesses have provided testimony and documentation. Cohen has already been imprisoned in part because he arranged for $280,000 in hush payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
“Michael Cohen submitted a lot of documentation,” Davis said. “There are other documents from other people and other testimony from other people.”
New York mayor warns Trump protesters to ‘control yourselves’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday urged potential protesters for Donald Trump’s arraignment – he singled out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. – to be on their best behavior and threatened anyone who becomes violent with arrest.
“While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,” Adams said.
He said there were no specific threats. But he said people like Greene, “who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech,” are expected to visit the city. New York Young Republicspanns announced she would attend a 10:30 a.m. rally Tuesday at Collect Pond Park.
“While you are in town, be on your best behavior,” Adams said.
What is a grand jury?:Here’s whspant to know spanbout the jury thspant voted to indict Trump.
Trump mugshot?:A Donspanld Trump mugshot? Fingerprints? Whspant hspanppens next spanfter Trump indictment
Stormy Daniels says she’s received death threats since Trump indictment
Stormy Daniels says she is “kind of numb” now that the hush-money investigation stemming from her alleged affair with Donald Trump in 2006 has led to his criminal indictment – and that it has prompted despanth threspants spangspaninst her.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told the Times UK that the charges by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office amount to a vindication of her efforts to hold the former president accountable. But in her first interview since Trump’s indictment last Thursday, she said the as-yet-unspecific charges have put her in more personal danger than ever before.
“The first time it was like gold digger, slut, whore. You know, liar, whatever and this time it’s like, ‘I’m gonna murder you,’ “ she said of the threatening messages she has been getting.
Stormy Daniels faces threats:Stormy Dspanniels’ spanccusspantions spangspaninst Trump prompt post-indictment despanth threspants, she sspanys