Closing summary
After a huge day in Manhattan, it’s now time to turn attention to Florida, where Donald Trump has just landed after his appearance in court in New York. The former US president is giving a speech there, due at 8.15pm ET and we are launching an entirely new live blog now, in the run-up and to cover the event.
This blog is closing now, here’s how the day went:
Trump’s plane just landed in Florida and he is making his way back to his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.
The former president left New York shortly before 5pm local time after surrendering to authorities and pleading not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg held a press conference confirming that Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records “with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime” and adding that “these are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are.”
Bragg proposed a trial start date of January 2024, weeks before voting begins in the Republican presidential primary. The judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, will likely provide some clarity on the schedule at the next in-person hearing in December.
Trump did not speak to reporters upon leaving court, having pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Updated
Donald Trump has just landed back in Florida. Here’s a recap of the afternoon from Reuters:
The former US president pleaded not guilty in a history-making moment on Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, as prosecutors accused him of orchestrating payments to two women before the 2016 US election to suppress publication of their sexual encounters with him.
Prosecutors in Manhattan allege that Trump – the first sitting or former US president to face criminal charges – falsified business records to conceal a violation of election laws during his successful 2016 campaign.
The two women were adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, Trump sat, subdued, with his hands folded at the defense table as he entered his plea flanked by his lawyers. “Not guilty,” Trump, 76, said when asked how he pleaded.
The front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination in 2024, Trump responded with answers like “yes” when the judge asked him if he understood a right. At one point, the judge put his hand to his ear as if to prompt an answer.
Prosecutor Chris Conroy said: “The defendant Donald J Trump falsified New York business records in order to conceal an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 presidential election and other violations of election laws.”
Although falsifying business records in New York on its own is a misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year in prison, it is elevated to a felony punishable by up to four years when done to advance or conceal another crime, such as election law violations.
Prosecutors during the arraignment said Trump made a series of threatening social media posts, including one threatening “death and destruction” if he was charged. The judge asked the parties to “please refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence or civil unrest”.
Trump said nothing as he entered the courtroom or when he left roughly an hour later.
Updated
George Conway, the prominent anti-Trump Republican lawyer who is in the process of untangling himself from the Washington power couple that was the Conways – George and senior aide to Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway – has been cheekily tweeting.
His choice of clips speak for themselves.
How it started …pic.twitter.com/r6Tmko4Qke
— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) April 4, 2023
How it’s going …pic.twitter.com/sXrmkMEPQO
— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) April 4, 2023
Updated
Meanwhile, Joe Biden told Britain’s King Charles in a phone call a little earlier today that first lady Jill Biden will attend the king’s 6 May coronation, the White House said in a statement.
The US president is not attending the coronation in London.
The president’s absence was rumored last month after an anonymous White House official told Time that the coronation did “not feel like an event Joe Biden will attend”.
Charles became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
Elizabeth ruled for more than 70 years, becoming the longest-serving monarch in British history.
A little more from my colleague Gloria Oladipo this morning, here.
Updated
This historic day in US politics is not over – Donald Trump is landing back in Florida soon and is going to make a speech at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach later this evening, where invitees are beginning to gather in the twinkly ballroom.
He’s fresh from pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts in criminal court in New York City, his birthplace and the metropolis where he made his name and fortune, before embarking on one of the wildest political ascendancies America has ever seen.
We’re going to launch a dedicated live blog when this one closes, at the top of the hour and will then be ready to cover the evening event as it happens.
We’ll be reporting points from the speech, with some checks and context, but we have decided not to live stream the speech, so as to avoid pumping any lies and incendiary, threatening language that might be included directly out to the public in this forum.
Updated
A clip of the highlights of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s press conference earlier, held at the courthouse where Donald Trump had just pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records.
As Bragg alleges, the fiddling of the business records was “made to cover up other crimes. These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are.”
The prosecutor alleges that, among other things, the fiddled records were meant to conceal state election financing crimes.
Updated
White House slams Tennessee Republicans over gun safety politics
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee who are taking action to kick out Democratic rivals because they joined a protest against gun violence after another horrific school shooting are “shrugging in the face” of the tragedy, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier today at the daily media briefing, in Washington, DC.
House Republicans introduced three resolutions to expel Democratic state representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson four days after the protest. The chamber’s Republican leadership also compared the gun control protest to an “insurrection”.
Expelling a house member is an extremely rare occurrence, with only two of the chamber’s members removed since the civil war.
The three have already been stripped of their committee assignments as more sanctions are expected, according to the Tennessee house speaker, Cameron Sexton.
At the press briefing in the west wing moments ago, Jean-Pierre slammed the actions by the Republicans.
More from @PressSec on Tennessee Republican lawmakers seeking to expel three Democrats: "By doing what they're doing with these three Democratic legislators, they're shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting while our kids continue to pay the price."
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) April 4, 2023
A shooter gunned down three nine-year-olds and three adult staff at a private elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, late last month.
Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre found several different ways to rebuff requests for comment from the White House on the criminal case against Donald Trump in New York, just moments after Joe Biden’s predecessor arrived at the criminal court in lower Manhattan and in a few moments will appear in court to hear charges unsealed after last week’s indictment.
Senator Mitt Romney, one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump for inciting the deadly January 6 insurrection in 2021, criticized the Manhattan district attorney’s office over its handling of the hush-money case.
“I believe President Trump’s character and conduct make him unfit for office. Even so, I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda,” Romney said in a statement.
“No one is above the law, not even former presidents, but everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law. The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.”
At his press conference this afternoon, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, argued his office was obligated to pursue the case because investigators collected evidence indicating illegal activity.
“We today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law,” Bragg said. “No amount of money, no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”
Trump begins trip back to Florida
Donald Trump has now left New York after surrendering to authorities and pleading not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Trump will soon return to Florida, where he will deliver remarks on the charges he faces at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8.15pm ET.
In a fundraising email to supporters sent moments ago, Trump said, “While we are living through the darkest hours of American history, I can say that at least for this moment right now, I am in great spirits.”
Trump then asked his supporters to consider contributing to his 2024 presidential campaign, saying, “I have never been more certain that we will win back the White House and save our Great Nation.”
Updated
At his press conference, Alvin Bragg asserted that the scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels to suppress the story of her alleged affair with Donald Trump ran afoul of multiple laws.
“The scheme violated New York election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means,” the Manhattan district attorney said.
“The 130,000 dollar wire payment exceeded the federal campaign contribution cap, and the false statements in [American Media Inc’s] books violated New York law.”
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, took several questions from reporters after delivering his prepared remarks on Donald Trump’s indictment over hush-money payments.
Asked about the timing of the indictment, Bragg said, “I bring cases when they’re ready. Having now conducted a rigorous, thorough investigation, the case was ready to be brought, and it was brought.”
Another reporter noted that Bragg’s predecessor declined to pursue charges against Trump in this case and asked why the district attorney’s office decided to do so now.
“We have had available to the office additional evidence that was not in the office’s possession prior to my time here,” Bragg replied.
Updated
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, argued his office was obligated to pursue the case against Donald Trump regardless of the former president’s reputation and resources.
“We today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law,” Bragg said at his press conference. “No amount of money, no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”
Updated
Donald Trump and his lawyers have accused the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, of overstating the significance of the allegations against the former president.
At his press conference, Bragg emphasized that the charges filed against Trump reflect the serious importance of ensuring business is conducted in a lawful manner.
“True and accurate business records are important everywhere to be sure,” Bragg said. “They are all the more important in Manhattan, the financial center of the world.”
Updated
'We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,' Bragg says
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, is now holding a press conference to discuss the 34 charges filed against Donald Trump.
Bragg confirmed that Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records “with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime”.
“We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” Bragg said.
Updated
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, will soon hold a press conference to discuss the 34 charges against Donald Trump in the hush money case.
As reporters prepared for Bragg to arrive, photographers took photos of two posters set up next to the podium, which outlined the charges that Trump has pleaded not guilty to.
One poster was labeled, “Catch and kill scheme to influence the 2016 election.”
Updated
At the arraignment, Donald Trump’s legal team suggested that it may be more realistic to begin the trial in spring 2024, according to the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell, who is in New York:
NEW: Trump lawyers said in court that they thought Spring 2024 trial date is more realistic than Manhattan prosecutors suggested trial start in Jan. 2024 — Trump due back in court Dec. 4 when Merchan likely to rule on expected motion to dismiss and others.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 4, 2023
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has proposed a trial start date of January 2024, weeks before voting begins in the Republican presidential primary.
The judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, will likely provide some clarity on the schedule at the next in-person hearing in December. At that point, Merchan will also likely rule on the expected motion to dismiss from Trump’s legal team.
Updated
According to multiple reports, the next in-person hearing in Donald Trump’s hush money case will be held in December, and a trial would not start until January 2024 at the earliest.
That schedule means Trump may be asked to appear in court just as voting begins in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, as the 2024 Iowa caucuses are scheduled to take place on 5 February.
As of now, Trump remains the frontrunner to win the Republican nomination.
Updated
The Manhattan district attorney office’s statement of facts regarding the indictment alleges that the parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media Inc, paid off a woman who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump.
“AMI ultimately paid $150,000 to Woman 1 in exchange for her agreement not to speak out about the alleged sexual relationship, as well as for two magazine cover features of Woman 1 and a series of articles that would be published under her byline,” the statement of facts says. “AMI falsely characterized this payment in AMI’s books and records, including in its general ledger.”
That woman is believed to be Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who says she had an extramarital affair with Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the grand jury was hearing evidence about the financial transaction with McDougal, as well as the hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Updated
According to the statement of facts from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, the parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media, Inc, at one point bought a story about Donald Trump fathering a child out of wedlock.
“[I]n or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman (the ‘Doorman’) was trying to sell information regarding a child that the Defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock,” the statement of facts reads.
“At the AMI CEO’s 4 direction, AMI negotiated and signed an agreement to pay the Doorman $30,000 to acquire exclusive rights to the story. AMI falsely characterized this payment in AMI’s books and records, including in its general ledger. AMI purchased the information from the Doorman without fully investigating his claims, but the AMI CEO directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A.”
In its statement of facts regarding the indictment, the Manhattan district attorney’s office accuses Trump of having “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election”.
“From August 2015 to December 2017, the Defendant orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the Defendant’s electoral prospects,” the statement of facts reads.
“In order to execute the unlawful scheme, the participants violated election laws and made and caused false entries in the business records of various entities in New York.”
Updated
Trump indictment released as Bragg holds press conference
The full indictment outlining the charges against Donald Trump has been unsealed, and it can be read here.
The indictment shows that the former president is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, which is a class E felony in the state of New York.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, is just about to kick off his press conference to discuss today’s arraignment. Stay tuned.
Updated
Trump leaves courthouse without speaking to reporters
Donald Trump has just left the Manhattan criminal court, about two hours after arriving there to be arrested and arraigned over charges linked to a 2016 hush-money scheme.
The former president once again declined to speak to reporters as he left the courthouse, ignoring shouted questions about how he pleaded in the case. Multiple outlets have reported that Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, will soon hold a press conference to discuss the arraignment. Stay tuned.
Updated
New York law classifies falsifying business records in the first degree as a class E felony, which is the lowest level of felony charges in the state.
Now that Trump has been arraigned, the indictment approved by a New York grand jury last week can be publicly unsealed, offering more details on the exact charges the former president is facing. Stay tuned.
As we await more details on the 34 counts that Donald Trump is reportedly facing, Joe Biden is meeting with his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Reporters tried to ask Biden for his thoughts on Trump’s arraignment, but the president once again declined to comment on his predecessor’s legal challenges, per CBS News.
When asked by reporters if he thinks AI is dangerous, @POTUS said “It remains to be seen.”
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) April 4, 2023
When I asked if the Trump indictment is politically divisive, Biden smiled and laughed.
He did not answer questions about @WSJ reporter #EvanGershkovich.
Trump pleads not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records – reports
Donald Trump has officially entered a plea of not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in connection a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election, according to multiple reports.
The former president may speak to reporters after leaving the courtroom, and the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, plans to soon hold a press conference. Stay tuned.
Updated
Some of the first photographs of Donald Trump sitting in the Manhattan courtroom are now being released. The former president is seen sitting at the defense table with his legal team.
The judge presiding over the case, New York supreme court Justice Juan Merchan, issued a ruling late last night that only a handful of still photographers would be allowed to take pictures inside the room. No electronic devices are allowed.
Updated
Trump in courtroom to be arraigned
Donald Trump was seen entering the courtroom where he will now be arraigned for charges linked to a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election.
The former president offered no comment to reporters as he entered the courtroom. He is expected to plead not guilty to all charges.
Updated
'Donald Trump will have a fair trial,' Schumer says
Moments before Donald Trump’s arraignment is expected to begin, the Democratic Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, expressed confidence that the former president will receive a fair trial.
“I believe that Donald Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law,” Schumer said.
I believe that Donald Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law. There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right, but all protests must be peaceful.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 4, 2023
He added: “There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right, but all protests must be peaceful.”
Trump is currently under arrest at the Manhattan criminal court, where he is expected to soon plead not guilty to all the charges he faces. Schumer is one of two Democratic senators who represent the state of New York.
Updated
One of Donald Trump’s former White House aides also described the experience of watching him surrender to New York authorities as “surreal”.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, Trump’s former White House director of strategic communications who has severely criticized the former president over his role in the deadly January 6 insurrection, said Trump is now “the most alone [he] has been in a long time”.
“He’s not flanked by aides, lawyers, body men & so on,” Griffin said on Twitter. “He’s face to face with the American legal system that has caught up with him.”
Surreal to watch. This is the most alone Trump has been in a long time. He’s not flanked by aides, lawyers, body men & so on. He’s face to face with the American legal system that has caught up with him.
— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) April 4, 2023
Updated
Moments before starting his trip to the Manhattan criminal court, Donald Trump shared a rather obvious message with his followers on the social media platform Truth Social.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL – WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,” Trump said. “Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
Trump has already used his Truth Social account to repeatedly attack Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office oversaw the hush-money investigation.
The former president will likely double down on those attacks tonight, when he delivers remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at 8.15pm ET.
Updated
Donald Trump waved to the assembled crowd as he arrived at the Manhattan courthouse where he has been arrested and will soon be arraigned.
Hundreds of journalists, security personnel and protesters have gathered outside the Manhattan criminal court to witness the unprecedented spectacle of a former US president surrendering himself to authorities.
BREAKING: Former President Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse for his arraignment. https://t.co/4pEJuMWIoU pic.twitter.com/pgyyatQXXy
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 4, 2023
Trump under arrest in New York – what we know so far
Donald Trump is now under arrest at the Manhattan courthouse where he will soon be arraigned for charges linked to a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election.
Here’s what we know so far:
Trump’s arraignment is scheduled for 2.15pm ET at the Manhattan criminal court. At the arraignment, Trump is expected to plead not guilty to all charges linked to hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with the former president. After the arraignment, Trump will likely be allowed to return home to Florida.
New York authorities will process Trump’s arrest, and they are expected to fingerprint the former president. But it remains unclear whether Trump’s mug shot will be taken, and it appears he will not be put in handcuffs.
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8.15pm ET. The former president has already aggressively dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part, and he will likely only intensify his attacks on prosecutors after being arraigned.
No electronic devices will be allowed in the courtroom. The judge overseeing the case, New York supreme court Justice Juan Merchan, issued a ruling late last night that only a handful of still photographers would be allowed to take pictures inside the room.
Reporters lined up outside the courthouse overnight in the hopes of getting a seat in the arraignment room. Several dozen reporters are expected to be allowed inside the room to witness the unprecedented event of a former US president formally responding to criminal charges.
A trial may still be months away. Once Trump enters his initial plea, Merchan will likely set a schedule for pre-trial hearings, but it may take several months for the actual trial to begin.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
Trump arrives at Manhattan courthouse for arraignment
Donald Trump has arrived at the Manhattan courthouse where he will soon be arraigned on charges linked to a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election.
Before the arraignment begins at 2.15pm ET, Trump will be formally arrested and processed by New York authorities. He is expected to be fingerprinted, but it is unclear whether he will have his mug shot taken.
At the arraignment, Trump is expected to plead not guilty to all charges, and the judge presiding over the case, New York supreme court Justice Juan Merchan, will then likely allow the former president to return home to Florida.
The blog will have more details coming up, so stay tuned.
As he left Trump Tower to make his way to the Manhattan courthouse where he will be arraigned, Donald Trump raised a fist to supporters waiting outside.
Trump leaves Trump Tower for arraignment
Donald Trump has left Trump Tower to make the short trip to the Manhattan courthouse where he will be arraigned at 2.15pm ET.
Cameras captured the former president’s motorcade traveling the four miles between Trump Tower and 100 Centre St, where an entrance has already been cleared for his arrival.
When he arrives, Trump will be formally arrested, fingerprinted and processed before appearing at his arraignment, where he is expected to plead not guilty to all charges. Stay tuned.
Interim summary
We expect Donald Trump to depart his New York home on Fifth Avenue very soon and start to make his way to the criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan. He’s due to appear in court a little later this afternoon.
Here’s where things stand:
A federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s request to block senior aides of his, while he was president, from testifying to special counsel Jack Smith in the federal criminal inquiries into the now candidate for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Voters in Wisconsin are casting ballots today in one of the most important elections of 2023 – a contest that will determine the ideological balance of the state’s supreme court.
Donald Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina has been on television and said the former president wouldn’t plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it could resolve the case.
Trump will be arraigned at 2.15pm ET at a courthouse in lower Manhattan. At the arraignment, Trump is expected to plead not guilty to all charges linked to his involvement in a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election. After the arraignment, Trump will likely be allowed to return home to Florida.
Trump is expected to be arrested and processed shortly before his arraignment. As part of his arrest, Trump will be fingerprinted and likely photographed, but his lawyer has said he does not expect Trump to be handcuffed.
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8.15pm ET. The former president has already aggressively dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part, and he will likely only intensify his attacks on prosecutors after being arraigned.
Updated
Court rejects Trump bid to stop top aides testifying to special counsel - reports
Media reports coming in that a federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s request to block senior aides of his while he was president from testifying to special counsel Jack Smith.
Smith is the special counsel appointed by the Department of Justice last year who is helming investigations into Trump’s alleged hiding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and role in fomenting the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when extremist supporters tried to stop Congress certifying Joe Biden’s election victory over Trump.
JUST IN: A federal appeals court panel has rejected Trump's bid to block top aides from testifying to special counsel Jack Smith's Jan. 6 investigation.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 4, 2023
Several close Trump advisers are the subject of this order, which was part of a rushed series of overnight filings. pic.twitter.com/bFiNsXLNpy
And this:
BREAKING: A federal appeals court panel just rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to prevent top aides & advisors from testifying to Special Counsel Jack Smith. More bad news for Trump & more evidence that if you mess with Jack Smith, you will lose.
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) April 4, 2023
Here’s one opinion:
Trump's federal trial could not come soon enough. It should have started two years ago. GOP would not have won the House if Trump & GOP co-conspirators like Greene, Gosar, Gaetz & Boebert were held criminally accountable for Jan 6 failed coup attempt.
— Jonathan Greenberg (@JournalistJG) April 4, 2023
When Donald Trump arrived in New York yesterday he entered his Trump Tower skyscraper alone, with his wife, Melania, noticeably absent.
Now there are some reports that she just turned up, so we’ll bring you any other news on that as it emerges.
Melania Trump seen arriving at Trump Towers in New York City 👁️
— MirrorUSNews (@MirrorUSNews) April 4, 2023
🔴 Insiders recently claim that the Trumps could be heading for divorce.#MelaniaTrump #TrumpArraignment #TrumpIndictment https://t.co/7ubSsiGGYa
Outside the criminal court building in lower Manhattan, handfuls of protesters and a scrum of media are in a brief news vacuum as they await the arrival of Donald Trump.
The former president has not left Trump Tower uptown on Fifth Avenue yet, despite some reports that he would surrender to the authorities downtown at 11am. So we wait.
In true New York City style, there’s a lot of scaffolding around, a mix of poles and roughly painted wooden panels that ends up casting shade, trapping garbage, hindering navigation on the sidewalk and giving the location an even less salubrious environment than usual.
The interior of the building is not exactly cathedral-like splendor, either. For defendants it’s generally a sobering and dispiriting experience to be arraigned here – an arraignment being the first appearance in front of a judge after being arrested or surrendering to authorities, to hear the criminal charges against you.
The scene is colorful and a little chaotic.
A “Trump or Death” flag. Who says it’s not a cult? #Trump #TrumpArraignment pic.twitter.com/lvzX2LcwQl
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 4, 2023
Here’s “Hillary” and a fan.
“All this is just a big show,” Gregory Williams, a 57-year-old Bronx resident, told @nateschweber. “I got the popcorn. This is American theater at its best.” https://t.co/sxYMW978uT pic.twitter.com/j4Knz3XJ0B
— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) April 4, 2023
Protesters:
Anti-Trump protesters being kept separate from Trumpers. #TrumpArraignment pic.twitter.com/bVhi1tX5UW
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 4, 2023
Protesters:
Police seem to have separated pro and anti-Trump protesters here in front of the court house. Both sides yelling at each other, chanting etc pic.twitter.com/9yANVxsObn
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) April 4, 2023
Updated
The Guardian’s Sam Levine is on the ground in Wisconsin, where voters are heading to the polls to choose the newest member of the state supreme court.
The court is expected to soon weigh in on whether an abortion ban dating back to 1849 should be enforced after the US supreme court ruled to overturn Roe v Wade last summer.
And abortion access appears to be weighing heavily on the minds of Wisconsin voters as they cast their ballots today:
Voters are pouring in at a steady clip at a polling place in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin this morning. Every voter I spoke with pointed to abortion as their number 1 issue in today’s state Supreme Court race
— Sam Levine (@srl) April 4, 2023
Some of Donald Trump’s supporters have gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse where he will be arraigned this afternoon, but a handful of the former president’s critics are also on the scene.
One anti-Trump protester was photographed holding a sign that read: “Lock him up!” During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump rally attendees frequently chanted: “Lock her up!” in reference to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over her mishandling of sensitive government emails.
Another anti-Trump protester held a sign reading, “Trump 4 Prison”. As of now, Trump is still the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and the indictment does not prevent him from seeking office.
Updated
It remains unclear whether Donald Trump will get his mug shot taken when he is processed by New York authorities today, but one new report suggests he will not.
Yahoo News’ Michael Isikoff reported yesterday that Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts for falsification of business records, and noted that the Manhattan district attorney’s office had decided against getting a mug shot of the former president:
[One] source said, Trump will not be put in handcuffs, placed in a jail cell or subjected to a mug shot – typical procedures even for white-collar defendants until a judge has weighed in on pretrial conditions. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which has been consulting with the Secret Service and New York City court officials, concluded there was no reason to subject the former president to handcuffs or a mug shot.
The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell previously reported that Trump hoped to be handcuffed because he wanted to turn the arrest and arraignment into a “spectacle”.
Updated
Progressive congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York was spotted outside the courthouse where Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon.
Bowman told Semafor that he felt compelled to make an appearance because he wanted to push back against the rhetoric he’s heard from one of his House colleagues, far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
“She should not be here,” Bowman told Semafor’s Kadia Goba. “She should not be pushing rhetoric that is harmful and dangerous.”
Spoke to Rep. Jamaal Bowman earlier who said he came out to push back in against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. “She should not be here and she should not be pushing rhetoric that is harmful and dangerous.” pic.twitter.com/K3r4GDx7MM
— Kadia Goba (@kadiagoba) April 4, 2023
Wisconsin voters cast ballots in one of the year's most important elections
Voters in Wisconsin are casting ballots today in one of the most important elections of 2023 – a contest that will determine the ideological balance of the state’s supreme court.
The court will probably determine the future of abortion in Wisconsin and it is also poised to play a hugely consequential role in setting election rules for the 2024 presidential election in the critical battleground state.
The race is the most expensive judicial race in American history. More than $45m has been spent, shattering the $10m record that was spent in Wisconsin in 2020 as well as the national record $15m spent on an Illinois race in 2004.
The Guardian’s Sam Levine and Alice Herman are on the ground in Wisconsin talking to voters throughout the day.
Polls are open in Wisconsin! pic.twitter.com/E8vb8x32Dk
— Alice Herman (@aliceraeherman) April 4, 2023
Updated
Far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has arrived at a pro-Trump rally near the Manhattan courthouse where he will be arraigned this afternoon.
Dozens of reporters swarmed around Greene as she arrived, and journalists appeared to far outnumber attendees at the rally.
Jess Bidgood, a reporter for the Boston Globe, joked, “I would estimate a 1,000: 1 reporter to protester ratio here at the Marjorie Taylor Greene rally.”
I would estimate a 1,000: 1 reporter to protester ratio here at the Marjorie Taylor Greene rally pic.twitter.com/WlcPzQvo1S
— Jess Bidgood (@jessbidgood) April 4, 2023
Although much of today’s news cycle is focused on Donald Trump’s arraignment, there are other major developments happening today in both domestic and international news.
On the domestic front, Wisconsin and Chicago will hold crucial elections today. Wisconsin voters will head to the polls to choose a new member of the state supreme court, after a conservative judge stepped down. If liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz wins the race, she could flip majority control of the court.
Meanwhile, Chicago voters will choose their next mayor, after incumbent Democrat Lori Lightfoot failed to qualify for today’s runoff race.
In major international news, Finland has formally joined Nato, becoming the 31st member of the alliance. The Finnish flag was raised outside the Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, earlier today:
Finland's flag is raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels as it officially becomes a member of NATO. Finland is now the 31st member of NATO. pic.twitter.com/fE9D6LvFFQ
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 4, 2023
Trump arraignment will get under way soon
Donald Trump’s arraignment is scheduled to take place in a few hours. Here’s what we know so far:
Trump will be arraigned at 2.15pm ET at a courthouse in lower Manhattan. At the arraignment, Trump is expected to plead not guilty to all charges linked to his involvement in a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election. After the arraignment, Trump will likely be allowed to return home to Florida.
Trump is expected to be arrested and processed shortly before his arraignment. As part of his arrest, Trump will be fingerprinted and likely photographed, but his lawyer has said he does not expect Trump to be handcuffed.
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8.15pm ET. The former president has already aggressively dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part, and he will likely only intensify his attacks on prosecutors after being arraigned.
No electronic devices will be allowed in the courtroom. The judge overseeing the case, New York supreme court Justice Juan Merchan, issued a ruling late last night that only a handful of still photographers would be allowed to take pictures inside the room.
Reporters lined up outside the courthouse overnight in the hopes of getting a seat in the arraignment room. Several dozen reporters are expected to be allowed inside the room to witness the unprecedented event of a former US president formally responding to criminal charges.
A trial may still be months away. Once Trump enters his initial plea, Merchan will likely set a schedule for pre-trial hearings, but it may take several months for the actual trial to begin.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
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Congressman George Santos, the Republican who has faced widespread criticism for misrepresenting seemingly every aspect of his resume and biography, has been spotted outside the courthouse in Manhattan.
Reports indicate that Santos plans to attend the nearby pro-Trump rally being held by the New York Young Republican Club, where far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is expected to speak.
Reporters have waited for hours outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan, hoping to get a seat in the room where Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon.
But not everyone near the courthouse is particularly interested in the unprecedented event of a former US president facing criminal charges.
Reporter Soo Youn, a Guardian contributor, shared this photo of a couple getting married next door to the courthouse this morning:
Good morning from downtown Manhattan where this lovely couple is getting married right next door to the media scrum waiting for the Trump indictment. pic.twitter.com/vJxcxZDgKX
— Soo Youn (@lalasoo) April 4, 2023
Updated
This is Joan E Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam. Donald Trump will soon appear at an arraignment in Manhattan, where he will formally respond to charges over his involvement in a hush-money scheme during the 2016 election.
Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has indicated the former president will plead not guilty to all charges, and he will then likely be allowed to return to his home in Florida. Trump plans to deliver a speech defending himself at his Mar-a-Lago resort this evening.
The live blog will have updates and analysis as the arraignment gets underway, so stay tuned.
Trump lawyer says former president won't consider plea deal
Donald Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina has been on television and said the former president wouldn’t plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it could resolve the case.
Associated Press report 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.”
“I think there will be a typical processing, which does not take long, 20-30 minutes. There won’t be handcuffs,” Tacopina told ABC’s Good Morning America. “But, yeah, he’ll be processed the way anyone else would be – to a degree.”
Updated
From hush money news to criminal court: brief timeline
Here is a reminder, courtesy of Reuters, of the timeline of how we got to today:
January 2018 – The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump arranged a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to prevent her from discussing a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump in 2006. Trump has consistently denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
February 2018 – Michael Cohen, a former private lawyer and fixer for Trump, says he paid Daniels using his own money and was not directed by Trump’s company or campaign to make the payment. He said Trump never reimbursed him for the payment. Cohen would later contradict both statements under oath, stating Trump did in fact direct him to make the payment and reimbursed him.
April 2018 – Trump, when asked by reporters if he knew about the payment to Daniels, responded, “No.” Asked why Cohen made the payment, Trump said, “You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen.”
May 2018 – In an ethics disclosure, Trump acknowledges reimbursing Cohen for the $130,000 paid for Daniels.
August 2018 – Cohen pleads guilty to criminal charges in Manhattan federal court, including campaign finance violations over the hush money payments. He testified that Trump directed him to make the payments “for the principal purpose of influencing the election”.
August 2019 – Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney at the time, issues a subpoena to the Trump Organization for records of hush money payments.
July 2021 – Vance’s office indicts the Trump Organization and its top financial executive on tax fraud charges. Trump himself is not charged with a crime, and the indictment contains no references to hush money payments.
December 2022 – The Trump Organization is found guilty of tax fraud after a trial in New York state court in Manhattan.
January 2023 – Having replaced Vance as district attorney, Alvin Bragg’s office begins presenting evidence about Trump’s alleged role in the 2016 hush money payments to a grand jury.
March 2023 – Manhattan prosecutors invite Trump to testify before the grand jury, which legal experts say is a sign an indictment could come soon. Cohen testifies before the grand jury.
18 March 2023 – Trump says on his social media platform Truth Social that he expects to be arrested on 21 March and calls on his supporters to protest. A spokesperson for Trump said the former president had not been notified of any arrest.
23 March 2023 – Bragg’s office says Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested, and tells Republican congressmen seeking communications, documents and testimony about the probe that they were interfering with an ongoing investigation.
24 March 2023 – Trump warns of potential “death and destruction” if he is charged with a crime.
30 March 2023 – Media reports say Trump is indicted.
Updated
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Kristen Holmes report that sources close to Donald Trump have said that the former president is keen to speak while in New York today, ahead of his already planned speech this evening. They write:
Former President Donald Trump is eager to speak publicly about his indictment, according to multiple people familiar with his thinking.
Though he is not scheduled to speak until he arrives at Mar-a-Lago tonight, Trump has weighed saying something while still in Manhattan. He had initially considered doing so outside the courthouse but decided against that because of security considerations.
It remains unclear if he will talk while in New York, and advisers have urged him to hold off until he has the command of his own ballroom tonight, where hundreds of his supporters, surrogates and friends are expected to gather.
Advisers have warned Trump that any unplanned remarks put him at high risk of hurting his case. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech is expected to have legal eyes on it before he delivers it tonight.
The Hill this morning is carrying some quotes from Vin Weber, a Republican strategist and former member of the House Republican leadership. Weber is warning that the indictment of former president Donald Trump sets a dangerous precedent.
He argues that the impeachment of Bill Clinton lowered the bar for what might be considered an impeachable offence, and that the Stormy Daniels hush money case is doing the same, and risks people attempting political prosecutions of their opponents in the future. He said:
I think it’s bad for America, bad for the Republican Party and it’s bad for the political system in our country. Once you start down this path, there’s no way you’re going to reverse it. That’s what we saw with impeachment.
We’re going to see political prosecutions brought, some of them for meritorious reasons, some of them to advance the careers of the prosecutors. But all of this is harmful to America and our political process.
There are people in this vast country of ours who have less than sterling motivations and you want them to be inhibited by rules that we’ve established, informal rules, that are designed to protect the whole system.
Donald Trump will not be making a hugely long journey from Trump Tower to court today. He is expected to appear at about 14.15 ET (18.15 GMT / 19.15 BST).
There are already some people on the streets waiting for the day to unfold.
The Trump arraignment is not the only big political story today. Chicago, the third largest city in the US, goes to the polls today for a mayoral run-off.
Leigh Giangreco reports from Chicago for the Guardian that the election pits two Democrats from the furthest ends of their party’s spectrum against each other. Democrats across the country are watching to see if Brandon Johnson, a progressive who has previously supported the defund the police movement, will defeat Paul Vallas, who nabbed the endorsement of Chicago’s police union and once described himself as a Republican.
Voters in Wisconsin are also casting ballots today in one of the most important elections of 2023 – a contest that will determine the ideological balance of the state’s supreme court.
My colleague Sam Levine writes that the court will likely determine the future of abortion in Wisconsin, as a lawsuit challenging the state’s 1849 ban is already winding its way through the courts. It is also poised to play a hugely consequential role in setting election rules for the 2024 presidential election in Wisconsin, a key battleground state.
Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal Milwaukee judge, is facing off against Dan Kelly, a conservative who lost his seat on the supreme court in 2020. Conservatives currently have a 4-3 majority on the state’s highest court, but one of its conservative justices is retiring, meaning that the outcome of the election will determine the ideological balance of the court.
Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, writes about Wisconsin for the Guardian today, saying:
What’s happening in Manhattan’s criminal court is obviously important. Holding a former president accountable to the rule of law is essential.
But what’s happening today in Wisconsin may prove as, if not more, important to the future of American democracy. It will either strengthen or weaken the levers of self-government in a state where those levers could make all the difference.
You can read more here: Robert Reich – The most consequential politics story in the US isn’t the Trump arraignment
Stephen Collinson at CNN offered this analysis earlier this morning, writing that today’s courthouse appearance is not Donald Trump’s only woe:
The ex-president – the first to face criminal charges – also appears to face serious problems in a potentially more perilous case involving his alleged mishandling of secret documents being investigated by special counsel Jack Smith. Charges look like an increasing possibility as the Justice Department secures evidence about Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.
Smith’s prosecutors have secured daily notes, texts, emails and photographs and are focused on cataloguing how Trump handled classified records around Mar-a-Lago and those who may have witnessed the former president with them. The new details coincide with signs the Justice Department is taking steps consistent with the end of an investigation.
Monday was a dark day for Trump. He was returning to his old stomping ground in Manhattan under duress, to turn himself in on Tuesday over the first-ever criminal charges ever laid against an ex-president. Trump has long been a force of nature who rebels against constraints and has always been impossible for his staff to control. But now he will be subject to the dictates of a judge and the rules and conventions of the legal system, which will be far harder for him to disrupt and divert than the institutions of political accountability he has subverted.
Sidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, writes for the Guardian today, arguing that every indictment will make Trump stronger – and Republicans wilder:
Between the motion of Trump’s first indictment and the act of the last Republican primary, more than a year from now, on 4 June 2024, the shadow will fall on the only party with an actual nomination contest. Trump’s pandemonium will only have an electoral valence for the foreseeable future in its precincts. His damage to the constitution, the national security of the United States and the rule of law will be extensive, but his most intense and focused political destruction will be circumscribed within the Republican party.
From the report of every new indictment to its reality, Republican radicalization will accelerate. Every concrete count will confirm every conspiracy theory. Every prosecution and trial, staggered over months and into the election year, from New York to Georgia to Washington, will be a shock driving Republicans further to Trump. Every Republican candidate running for every office will be compelled to declare as a matter of faith that Trump is being unjustly persecuted or be themselves branded traitors.
Read more here: Sidney Blumenthal – Every indictment will make Trump stronger, and Republicans wilder
If you are still slightly confused as to what Donald Trump has actually been charged with, you can be forgiven, since the precise details are yet to emerge. My colleague Joan E Greve has what we do know:
Why is Trump appearing in court?
A grand jury voted to indict Trump last Thursday over allegations that he illegally reimbursed his former attorney, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who claims to have had an extramarital affair with the former president beginning in 2006. Cohen paid Daniels in the final days before the 2016 presidential election, as she was preparing to go public with her story about the alleged affair. (Trump has said the affair never took place.)
Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen, but he denies any illegal wrongdoing. The office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has been investigating the matter for months, and Bragg confirmed on Thursday that he was working with Trump’s team to coordinate his surrender.
What charges is Trump facing?
That remains unclear. As of Tuesday morning, the indictment remains under seal, but the document will probably be released to the public after Trump is formally arrested and appears at his arraignment.
According to NBC News, Trump is facing about 30 charges related to document fraud in the hush-money scheme. Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has already started challenging the charges, accusing Bragg of having “taken a misdemeanor and tried, cobbled together, to make it a felony by alleging a violation of federal campaign violations”.
Read more of Joan E Greve’s explainer here: Trump is being arraigned – here’s what that means and what happens next
Donald Trump will make history this week as the first US president to be charged with a criminal offence. Ahead of this landmark moment, Hugo Lowell spoke to Michael Safi for our Today in Focus podcast and told him that once again, with Trump we are in uncharted territory. You can listen to the podcast here:
It is worth noting that today’s proceedings in Manhattan are expected to be relatively brief, and that being charged will not prevent Donald Trump running for the Republican nomination, or indeed the presidency.
Even a conviction would not prevent that, although the projected timeframe for the case is such that it may not even get back to court before the election in November 2024.
After today’s arraignment, Trump is expected to be released by authorities because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set.
Associated Press report that a demonstration of support is expected, and that New York’s mayor, Eric Adams, had a message for Trump fans heading to the city, saying on Monday “While there may be some rabble rousers thinking of coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves.”
Trump pollster John McLaughlin said the former president would approach the 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.”
If you missed it, here is what the former president’s arrival at Trump Tower in New York yesterday ahead of today’s courthouse appearance looked like:
What we know so far …
Welcome to our live coverage of what is set to be an historic day in US politics, with Donald Trump due to appear in a New York courthouse as the first American president to be indicted on a criminal charge. Here is what we know so far …
At about 14.15 ET (18.15 GMT / 19.15 BST) on Tuesday, he will appear at the courthouse where a grand jury convened by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg handed down its indictment last week, to learn the exact details of which laws he is alleged to have broken.
At his arraignment, he is expected to be photographed and fingerprinted, but will not be handcuffed per an agreement his legal team reached with Bragg, Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina said last week.
Trump’s lawyers opposed videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment, saying it would “exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case”.
Late on Monday, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that five photographers would be admitted for several minutes before the arraignment, with TV cameras allowed only in the hallways of the building.
Important details of the case could be revealed before Trump sets foot in the courtroom. Media organizations have petitioned Merchan to make public Bragg’s indictment, which reportedly contains upwards of 30 charges and at least one felony related to the hush money payment he facilitated to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
A protest by Trump supporters is expected to be held a few streets away from the Manhattan criminal court at noon ET (16.00 GMT / 17.00 BST).
Trump is expected to leave New York as soon as the hearing has finished, and has will deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, at 8.15pm ET (12.15am GMT / 1.15am BST). He may be limited in what he can say if the judge decides to issue a gag order on those involved in the case.
I’m Martin Belam in London, and I’ll be bringing you all the latest reaction as the day builds to Trump’s court appearance.
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