It takes around 11 minutes to walk from Trump Tower, where former President Donald Trump was this morning, to the Lotos Club, where former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is expected this evening. Most of the walk is bordered by Central Park.
Trump was at the tower preparing to be arraigned by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Clinton is set to be honored by the longstanding literary club, according to The New York Times.
“We have had princes and princesses, senators and congressmen,” as honorees, said John Sussek III, the president of the Lotos Club, per the outlet. He said the timing of the event to honor Clinton was a coincidence.
Trump won his single term in office during the 2016 election against Clinton. While the Democratic candidate – who served in former President Barack Obama’s cabinet and was first lady under former President Bill Clinton – won the popular vote, Trump won the election via the electoral college. He lost both to current President Joe Biden in 2020.
When he walked into a New York City courthouse Tuesday, Trump became the first U.S. president arraigned on criminal charges. These charges from an alleged “hush money” scheme to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet regarding a reported affair with Trump and include 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. As he made his way to the courthouse from Trump Tower, Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL – WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,” he said. “Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
“You may recall what Donald Trump said in 2016, that if we voted for Hillary Clinton we’d have a criminal president under constant investigation and who would soon be indicted,” Sussek planned to say in his speech Tuesday, according to The New York Times. “And you know what? Trump was right. I voted for Hillary Clinton and ended up with a criminal president under constant investigation and has now just been indicted.”
Founded in 1870, the Lotos Club is one of the oldest literary clubs in the nation, said its website. It took its name from an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem and Samuel L. Clemens, known as Mark Twain, was an early member.
“It began in February 1870, when a half dozen young writers, journalists and critics met and decided to form a new club,” said the site.
“They wanted to bring together journalists, literary men, artists, members of the musical and dramatic professions, and ‘such merchants and “professional gentlemen of artistic tastes and inclination.’”
Since then, the club has honored many people, including former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases leader Dr. Anthony Fauci. State dinner honorees have included Saul Bellow, Robert Rauschenberg, Stephen Sondheim, Joe DiMaggio, Ruth Bader Ginberg, Tom Wolfe, John Glenn, Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Bennett, Henry Kissinger, Itzhak Perlman, Carol Burnett and Ken Burns.
Sussek said criteria for honor at the Lotus “are essentially an individual who has made great contributions in whatever field or fields they’re in. It’s recognition of their accomplishments in society.”
By the time Clinton’s black-tie private dinner is in swing at the Lotos Club, Trump is expected to be either on the way to or back at his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago. Audacy’s 1010 WINS reported that he’s scheduled to respond to the charges at around 8:15 p.m. ET Tuesday
An email sent from the Trump team said he was on his way back as of approximately 4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Clinton had not mentioned The Lotus Club event on her Twitter account as of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday. Her last post was an endorsement of Judge Janet Protasiewicz in Wisconsin “to protect our democracy and defend reproductive freedom.”
She also posted about a livestream event with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi Monday.
“This Founders’ Day we celebrate 153 years of history and camaraderie at the Lotos Club!” said a post on the club’s Instagram page Tuesday.
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