NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Donald Trump made his first court appearance in federal court in Miami on Tuesday after the GOP front-runner was charged with 37 felony counts accusing him of hoarding top secret documents and trying to hide them from investigators. He's the first former president to face a judge on federal charges.
Miami officials had prepared for potential unrest. Trump has been railing against the case on social media and plans to speak Tuesday night from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club. The arraignment comes just two months after the Manhattan D.A. charged Trump with 34 felony counts over "hush money" payments Trump allegedly made during the 2016 presidential race.
TUESDAY, JUNE 13
5:44 p.m. -- Trump's plane takes off for New Jersey
Trump and a cadre of advisors are now en route to New Jersey, where the former president intends to give a speech from his golf club in Bedminster at 8 p.m.
3 p.m. -- Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts
Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he hoarded classified documents detailing sensitive military secrets and schemed to thwart government efforts to get them back.
Trump appeared before a judge in Miami’s federal courthouse on Tuesday in a stunning moment in American history days after he became the first former president charged with federal crimes.
Authorities say Trump schemed and lied to block the government from recovering the documents concerning nuclear programs and other sensitive military secrets stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
It’s the second criminal case Trump is facing as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. He’s also accused in New York state court of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in both cases and slammed the prosecutions as politically motivated. He’s expected to return later Tuesday to New Jersey, where he’s scheduled a press event to publicly respond to the charges.
2:45 p.m. -- Trump headed to court alongside his son Eric
Trump rode to court with his son Eric, who accompanied the motorcade from the former president’s Doral resort to the federal courthouse in Miami.
CNN aired footage of Trump walking to a line of SUVs with his son by his side while someone yelled, “Let’s go Trump!”
The former president could be seen stopping and waving at supporters, as well as chatting with staff members. Eric Trump appeared to clap his father on the back just before he climbed in a vehicle.
As he rode to court, Trump posted on his social media site that the case against him was a “witch hunt.”
Later, outside the courthouse Trump lawyer Alina Habba said, “Today is not about President Donald J. Trump, who is defiant.”
“It is not about the Republican Party, it is not about the 2024 election,” Habba added. “It is about the destruction of longstanding principles that have set this country apart.”
2:20 p.m. -- Trump, aide booked in Miami courthouse
Trump and an aide charged as a co-conspirator have been booked in Miami federal court.
That’s according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which said Trump and Walt Nauta had been booked shortly after they arrived Tuesday afternoon.
Both men are expected to appear at the defense table shortly on charges that they wrongly held onto classified documents.
The two men were seen arriving at court together.
2 p.m. -- Trump arrives at Miami courthouse for historic appearance
Trump has arrived at the federal courthouse in Miami to formally surrender to authorities ahead of his court appearance on charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Trump’s motorcade arrived Tuesday afternoon at the courthouse shortly before he’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge, a stunning moment in American history days after he became the first former president charged with federal crimes.
It’s the second criminal case Trump is facing as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. He’s also accused in New York state court of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, saying he’s being unfairly targeted by political opponents who want to hurt his campaign. After his court appearance, Trump will return to New Jersey, where he’s expected to hold a press event to publicly respond to the charges.
1:45 p.m. -- Trump heads to Miami courthouse
Trump is on his way to the federal courthouse in Miami to face dozens of charges that he illegally hoarded classified documents.
Trump departed his Doral golf course Tuesday afternoon en route to the courthouse, where he is expected to surrender to federal authorities and face a judge.
The former president is not expected to have his mugshot taken but will have his digital fingerprints taken.
Trump was indicted last week on 37 felony charges accusing him of willfully retaining classified documents and obstructing justice.
12:15 p.m. -- Trump to be digitally fingerprinted
Trump will be digitally fingerprinted and have his birthdate and Social Security number taken as part of the booking process Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Miami, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service says.
The spokesman said the former president will forgo a mugshot because enough photos of him already exist in the system.
The spokesman said that booking could take place before Trump appears in court or afterward, depending on when he arrives. He said authorities did not plan to immediately alert the media once Trump had arrived.
Having no picture taken is similar to Trump’s recent appearance in court in New York on a separate case involving hush money payments, when the former president also avoided having his mug shot taken.
11 a.m. -- What to know about Trump's court day
Trump spent Monday night at Trump National Doral Miami after flying from New Jersey to Florida.
His arraignment is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. federal courthouse, which is about 13 miles away in Downtown Miami.
Trump will be escorted to a courtroom on the 13th floor of the courthouse to face a judge.
The case is being overseen by Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who has previously ruled in Trump's favor in the classified documents case. However, Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman is reportedly expected to oversee Tuesday's hearing.
While at the courthouse, Trump will be processed as a criminal defendant. He's not expected to be handcuffed, but he will technically be in FBI custody.
His fingerprints will be taken electronically. His mugshot could also be taken, though mugshots in the federal system are never released.
After the arraignment, Trump is expected to return to New Jersey, where he has a speech scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at his Bedminster golf club.
10:30 a.m. -- Media outnumber Trump supporters at courthouse
Security was tight outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson federal courthouse Tuesday ahead of the former president’s court appearance.
But Trump supporters were noticeably few hours before the appearance — far outnumbered by the hundreds of journalists from the U.S. and around the world who have converged on downtown Miami for the historic occasion.
Trump has urged his supporters to rally outside the courthouse, posting on his Truth social network: “SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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