NEW YORK: Donald Trump, the ex-president and frontrunner to be Republican nominee in 2024, will appear in court on Tuesday and is set to be formally charged, finger-printed and have a mug shot taken in a watershed moment ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Trump was indicted last week, becoming the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges, over a case involving a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has said he is innocent and is due to plead not guilty.
Trump will turn himself in on Tuesday amid tight security as demonstrations were expected for and against a man who has riled liberals and some global allies but is lauded by many white blue-collar and conservative Christian voters.
“We have to take back our Country and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social profile shortly after arriving in New York from Florida on Monday, urging supporters to donate to his campaign.
The arraignment, where Trump will be in court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, was planned for 2:15 pm on Tuesday.
Trump’s lawyers opposed videography, photography and radio coverage, saying it would “exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case”, detracting from dignity and decorum.
Judge Juan Merchan late on Monday ruled that five photographers will be admitted before the arraignment starts to take pictures for several minutes until they must stop, with cameras allowed in the hallways of the building.
The District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, who led the investigation, will later give a news conference in the afternoon.
Trump will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 pm on Tuesday, his office said.
The specific charges in the indictment by a grand jury convened are due to be disclosed on Tuesday. Trump and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.
Yahoo News late on Monday said Trump would face 34 felony counts for falsification of business records. Citing a single source briefed on Tuesday’s arraignment procedures, Yahoo said none of the charges against Trump were misdemeanors.
Protests and popularity
Police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower – where Trump arrived on Monday after flying in from Florida – and the Manhattan Criminal Court building, with demonstrations expected at both sites on Tuesday.
The city’s mayor warned potential rabble-rousers to behave.
“Our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger,” Eric Adams said.
Asked if he was worried about unrest, President Joe Biden, a Democrat who is widely expected to seek re-election and face a potential rematch against Trump, said: “No, I have faith in the New York Police Department.”
The case has divided people in New York, where Trump’s name is emblazoned on buildings related to his business ventures.
“It’s a terrific day. I hope it goes well and that he is eventually found guilty,” said New Jersey resident Robert Hoatson, 71, outside Trump Tower on Monday.
But Trump backer Susan Miller, leaning against the metal barriers on 5th Avenue just south of Trump Tower on Monday evening, said she hoped the show of support would “give him a little strength when he goes down… to battle.”
“He’s honest as the day is long,” she said, adding she planned to return on Tuesday.
Trump’s lead has widened over rivals in the Republican Party’s presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, conducted after news broke that he would face criminal charges.
Some 48% of self-described Republicans say they want Trump to be their party’s presidential nominee, up from 44% in a March 14-20 poll. Second-place Florida Governor Ron Desantis fell from 30% to around 19%.
