In an unprecedented and potentially pivotal moment in American political history, former President Donald Trump arrived at a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday for arraignment on 34 charges of falsifying business records, allegations that stem from legal “hush money” payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels at the close of his 2016 campaign.
Trump, who launched his third presidential bid in November, pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing, including any affair with Daniels. His plane and motorcade arrived Monday in New York, where prosecutors unsealed 34 charges during the exactly one-hour hearing that began at 2:25 p.m. in lower Manhattan.
Minutes before, Trump walked into the courthouse on his own, stone-faced and taking slow, deliberate steps. He was not restrained or escorted, though the hallways were thick with police and courthouse security. Flanked by attorneys, Trump took a seat inside the courtroom, where a handful of pool photographers were allowed to capture the former president before proceedings began.
Trump did not address the cameras either coming or going on Tuesday, but it was reported that he himself said “not guilty” after the charges were read, and planned to speak upon his return to Florida. He also posted Tuesday afternoon on his own Truth Social site:
“Alvin Bragg shut down New York City, brought in 38,000 NYPD officers, and will spend an estimated $200,000,000 of NYC funds, for a totally legal $130,000 NDA,” he wrote. “On top of all that, the 9th Circuit Court just awarded me $122,000 — over the $500,000 already awarded, from Stormy “Horseface” Daniels!”
Business records falsification is a misdemeanor in New York, but expands to a felony if prosecutors can show that it was purposefully and knowingly done to cover up another crime – such as violation of campaign-finance laws. Prosecutors have indicated they intend to argue that Trump had a direct hand in the transactions.
The 16-page indictment was not unsealed until the hearing, and its contents showed that prosecutors were planning to show that Trump made the payments to hide “damaging information” and concealing “criminal conduct” well beyond a one-time payment to Daniels.
The judge did not impose a gag order on Trump, or anyone, as some had speculated. Trump did not make a statement after the hearing, but was expected to give an address after arriving back at his Mar-a-Lago estate Tuesday.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg held a press conference Tuesday afternoon, laying out his case against the former president – whom he promised to prosecute while campaigning. “These are felony crimes in New York State, no matter who you are,” Bragg said. “We cannot normalize serious criminal conduct in the state of New York.”
Bragg continued to justify charges for bookkeeping crimes, saying his office’s proximity to Wall Street means it prosecutes “hundreds” of business falsification cases. “We have a history of vigorously enforcing white-collar crime,” he said.
Tuesday’s indictment, rendered after weeks of grand jury testimony, makes Trump the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges of any kind. His legal team has asked the judge to ban photo and video coverage of the arraignment, though pool photographers were allowed to capture some of the events in the Manhattan court.
Trump’s formal arraignment and booking included a fingerprint session, but he was not handcuffed or photographed for a mugshot. For the past week, Trump has basked in the attention while his team bragged that they had raised millions of dollars for his presidential campaign since news broke about the pending charges.
Trump’s journey to New York began Monday with a motorcade ride in Florida from his Mar-a-Lago resort to the airport, where his red, white and blue Boeing 757 – showcasing its “Trump” stamp in gold – was waiting to take him back to the city where he once reigned as the king of real estate.
Along the route, supporters cheered and waved Trump banners and American flags, and networks carried live video of the precession. Meanwhile on the plane, Trump’s son Eric live-blogged the event on Twitter, proclaiming “unbelievable support for miles as we depart to New York!”
Meanwhile in New York City, the police department was on high alert, with Mayor Eric Adams warning that violence would not be tolerated. “New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger,” Adams warned in a Monday address that was posted online.
Though some people had gathered to protest both for and against Trump, no unrest or arrests were reported.
