Summary
That’s it for our live coverage for today. Here’s a look back at what happened:
A grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump in New York over a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. This is the first time in US history a former president has faced a criminal indictment. The charges remained under seal but the investigation centred on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
Trump’s lawyer Susan Necheles confirmed that Trump was expected to be taken into court on Tuesday for an arraignment, where he will be presented with charges and probably enter into a plea. He is not going to be handcuffed. A judge will then decide whether to release him on bail – he is expected to be released without bail. His fingerprints and mugshot will also be taken.
The former president responded with an attack on Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, saying the indictment amounted to “political persecution”. “I can’t get a fair trial in New York”, he wrote on Truth Social.
Democrats said if Trump broke the law, he should face charges like any American. Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer added: “There should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case. I encourage both Mr Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law.” California Democrat Adam Schiff said: “The indictment of a former president is unprecedented. But so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged.”
Republicans across the country, including Trump’s potential rivals, criticised the indictment. House speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed that the House of Representatives “would hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account”. Mike Pence, a potential Trump rival for the presidential nomination, said the indictment sends a “terrible message” about the US justice system to the world. Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, called it a “shocking and dangerous day for the rule of law in America”.
Stormy Daniels celebrated the news, saying: “I have so many messages coming in that I can’t respond … also don’t want to spill my champagne.”
Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who was expected to run against Trump for the Republican nomination, said his state would not assist in any extradition request for the former president.
Reports suggest Trump’s team was surprised by the timing of the announcement and was not expecting it on Thursday evening. Trump was in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, when it was announced.
All of New York’s police have been put on duty for Friday, with NBC quoting a police memo stating that the order applied to “all officers regardless of rank”. It reported that the memo instructed officers to be aware of “unusual disorder” duties.
Updated
Big day for Queens:
There is always a local angle https://t.co/yidE3rXHFb
— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) March 31, 2023