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
