Donald Trump arrived in New York on Monday to face criminal charges in a Manhattan court, marking an escalation in the former U.S. president’s legal troubles and an ominous new chapter in American political history.
Trump arrived in New York after traveling from his Sea Lake estate on Florida’s Atlantic coast. He then headed to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York, where he is due to appear in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday.
“Believe it or not, I will be in court Tuesday morning. This is not how America is supposed to be!” he wrote earlier on his social media accounts.
New York authorities are prepared for protests and possible violence. Barricades were set up outside the courtroom to avoid any disruption to the legal proceedings.
Outside Trump Tower, Trump supporters appeared to be outnumbered by the assembled media as the former president arrived, mingling with tourists and curious bystanders.
“This needs to be done because people are saying New Yorkers don’t support Trump – he has supporters,” said Karen Lichtbraun, 62, who has been a Manhattanite. Former Pres.
Trump waved briefly to bystanders before entering his eponymous tower, while his supporters chanted “Arrest Biden!”
Dion Cini, 54, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, said he believes more supporters will show up, unless they are scared in New York City.
“MAGA is divided into three levels,” he explained, citing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. “There’s MAGA, ultra-MAGA and ultra-extreme MAGA.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a stern warning at Monday’s briefing about any potential disruptions. “While there may be some agitators considering coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourself,” he said. “New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.”
Donald Trump’s plane lands at New York’s LaGuardia Airport © AP
Trump was indicted by a grand jury last week for allegedly paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, making him the first former or current president to face criminal charges. He is expected to be fingerprinted and photographed on Tuesday and plead not guilty before returning to Florida to give a speech in the evening.
On the eve of his arraignment, Trump hired top defense attorney Todd Branch, who specializes in white-collar crime investigations, to bolster his legal team to fight the charges, Politico reported.
Since the indictment was announced, Trump’s allies and supporters in the U.S. and around the world have rallied to his defense. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican congresswoman from Georgia, is planning a separate event in New York to support the former president.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Viktor tweeted a message of support for Trump on Monday. “Keep fighting, Mr. President, we are with you.”
Trump’s lawyers say they plan to move quickly to pressure a judge to dismiss the New York case brought by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. But it’s one of several aggressive investigations facing the former president, who may have to run for the White House in 2024 while defending himself in one or more criminal trials.
In the past few weeks, polls have shown Trump appears to be consolidating his position among Republican primary voters. He remains the clear frontrunner among the other contenders for the party’s 2024 nomination.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to be his primary opponent but has yet to launch a campaign, remains a distant second in national polls, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is already in the race, far behind.
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