NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Donald Trump walked into a New York City courthouse—and into the history books — Tuesday as he became the first U.S. president to be arraigned on criminal charges. He pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the Manhattan D.A.’s investigation of “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The proceedings captivated the city — and shut down parts of Manhattan — as protesters faced off by the courthouse. Law enforcement is in a delicate dance to protect the city and get the former president safely back to Florida, where he’s scheduled to respond to the charges Tuesday night from his Mar-a-Lago estate.
TUESDAY, APRIL 4
8:19 p.m. — Trump takes the stage at Mar-a-Lago to address supporters after arraignment
Trump spoke to supporters at Mar-a-Lago after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts at his Manhattan arraignment Tuesday.
Flanked by American flags, Trump delivered a campaign-style speech to cheering supporters.
Trump was defiant, referring, among other things, to his two impeachment trials during his presidency. He called the New York indictment the latest in an “onslaught of fraudulent investigations.”
“This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately,” he said.
7:10 p.m. — Trump back in Florida following arraignment
Trump landed at Palm Beach International Airport following the arraignment in New York City Tuesday.
He plans to hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m.
6 p.m. — What Trump's indictment alleges:
Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to silence claims that he feared would be harmful to his candidacy, New York prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic 34-count felony indictment.
The charges arose from a series of checks that Trump or his company wrote during the presidential campaign to his lawyer and fixer for his role in making a payment to a porn actor who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.
The payments were part of “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president," Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy said in court. They were made to “protect his candidacy," Conroy added.
The broad contours of the case have long been known, but the indictment contains new details about a scheme that prosecutors say began months into his presidential candidacy in 2015, as his celebrity past collided with his presidential ambitions. It centers on payoffs to two women, including porn star Stormy Daniels, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with him years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged the former president had out of of wedlock.
"It’s not just about one payment. It is 34 false statements and business records that were concealing criminal conduct,” Bragg told reporters, when asked how the three separate alleged payments were connected.
All 34 counts against Trump are linked to a series of checks that were written to Trump’s personal lawyer and problem-solver, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for his role in paying off Daniels. Those payments, made over 12 months, were recorded in various internal company documents as being for a legal retainer that prosecutors say didn’t exist. Cohen testified before the grand jury and is expected to be a star prosecution witness. Nine of those monthly checks were paid out of Trump’s personal accounts, but records related to them were maintained in the Trump Organization’s data system.
Prosecutors allege that the first instance of Trump directing hush money payments came in the fall of 2015, when a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information about an alleged out-of-wedlock child fathered by Trump.
David Pecker, a Trump friend and the publisher of the National Enquirer, made a $30,000 payment to the doorman to acquire the exclusive rights to the story, pursuant to an agreement to protect Trump during his presidential campaign, according to the indictment. Pecker’s company later determined the doorman’s story was false, but at Cohen’s urging is alleged to have enforced the doorman’s confidentiality until after Election Day.
The investigation also concerns six-figure payments made to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.
5 p.m. -- Trump faces charges with total max sentence of 136 years
Trump faces a 136-year prison sentence if convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
These are class E felonies with a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
With the 34 counts against Trump, the maximum sentence is 136 years in prison.
4:30 p.m. -- Manhattan DA discusses Trump indictment
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says his office’s historic case against former President Donald Trump seeks to “ensure that everyone stands equal before the law.”
“No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle,” Bragg said.
Bragg spoke to a room packed with reporters following Trump’s arraignment Tuesday in a Manhattan courthouse on 34 felony charges tied to hush money paid to multiple people during the 2016 presidential campaign. The former president pleaded not guilty.
Bragg, who took office in 2022 and initially slowed the office’s move toward indicting Trump, said additional evidence not available to his predecessor led to moving forward now. He didn’t elaborate on the evidence or how it came to prosecutors’ attention.
“I bring cases when they’re ready,” Bragg said.
4:15 p.m. -- Trump takes off from LaGuardia, heads back to FL
3:50 p.m. -- Trump departs from NYC after historic arraignment
Trump left the Manhattan courthouse just minutes before the indictment was unsealed.
The former president did not address the press as he left the building.
Before departing, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche told reporters that former president is "frustrated and upset" about the indictment, according to Bloomberg News. That was in contrast to an email he sent to supporters after the departure saying he was in "great spirits" on his way to Mar-a-Lago.
3:40 p.m. -- Trump's indictment has been unsealed. Read below:
3:30 p.m. -- More details emerge from Trump arraignment hearing
Judge Juan Merchan has warned former President Donald Trump to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.
Trump pleaded not guilty directly, not through his lawyers, as Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg looked on. Bragg did not speak during the proceeding but was in the courtroom for the entirety of it.
Merchan also warned Trump that he could be removed from the courtroom if he is disruptive, but Trump spoke only a few times to respond to questions.
He’s next due in court in December, but his lawyers asked for him to be excused from attending the hearing in person because of extraordinary security proceedings.
The judge said he was not imposing a gag order at this point, but he asked both sides to refrain from comments that could lead to civil unrest.
Trump stayed mostly still with his hands steepled or interlaced and looked ahead during the proceedings, which lasted just over an hour.
2:50 p.m. -- Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as the Manhattan D.A. unsealed an indictment against him in court.
The charges stem from a hush money payment to a porn actor during Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Photos from the courtroom showed Trump sitting at the table reserved for defendants and their attorneys.
His legal team surrounded him, two seated on each side of the former president.
Trump leaned forward slightly, his shoulders rounded, but he didn’t turn his face away from photographers given permission to be in the courtroom just before the hearing.
2:30 p.m. -- Trump enters courtroom to be arraigned
Trump entered a courtroom to be arraigned. Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg entered minutes earlier.
Trump reached the 15th floor courtroom about 70 minutes after he entered the courthouse to surrender.
Trump did not acknowledge a television camera sending live images from the hallway outside the courtroom.
He was booked, processed and fingerprinted ahead of the proceeding.
He’s expected to plead not guilty as he faces the still-sealed indictment.
2:25 p.m. -- Manhattan D.A. enters courtroom
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has entered the courtroom where former President Donald Trump is scheduled for arraignment on criminal charges stemming from a hush-money payment during his 2016 campaign.
Trump has not yet been seen on the 15th floor where the hearing is supposed to take place. Wearing a navy blue suit and a bright red tie, Trump entered the courthouse around 12:20 p.m. to surrender on the charges and be processed before the hearing.
2:15 p.m. -- Trump arraignment creates spectacle at NYC park
A small park built on a site that was once a swampy, sewage-filled pond was ground zero for the frenzy surrounding Trump's surrender at a courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Hundreds of onlookers, protesters, journalists and a few politicians swarmed into the confines of Collect Pond Park, which sits across the street from the criminal courthouse where Trump was to be arraigned.
Metal barricades separated Trump supporters from anti-Trump protesters, and police stepped in to break up small skirmishes.
A few hundred Trump supporters showed up, waving Trump flags and wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was shouted down by anti-Trump protesters.
Security was loose enough in the neighborhood that plenty of passers-by walked through the park just to see what was going on. One woman went through what looked like a Tai Chi routine, steadfastly ignoring the reporters. At one point, a tour guide led a group of tourists through the area.
1:35 p.m. -- Photo shows Trump entering Manhattan Criminal Court
A photo shows Trump entering Manhattan Criminal Court, where he’ll become the first president, former or sitting, to face criminal charges. He's expected to plead not guilty.
He entered the courthouse surrounded by Secret Service agents as numerous helicopters flew overhead.
1:20 p.m. -- Trump surrenders at Manhattan Criminal Court
Minutes after departing Trump Tower, Trump arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court and surrendered to authorities to face charges on a sealed indictment.
On his way to the courthouse, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: “Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
1:10 p.m. -- Trump motorcade leaves Trump Tower for courthouse
Trump’s motorcade departed Trump Tower shortly after 1 p.m. en route to Manhattan Criminal Court.
He’ll make the roughly three-mile trip to the courthouse, where he’ll be arraigned at 2:15 p.m.
12:55 p.m. -- Manhattan DA's 'Meet Our Team' page pulled from site
The Manhattan district attorney's office has quietly removed a page that listed employee names and roles.
The "Meet Our Team" page, which was active as of Friday, had gone dark by Tuesday, just before Trump's historic arraignment.
Republicans and Trump supporters have expressed strong opposition to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office since Trump's indictment broke late Thursday.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said during a press conference Monday that the NYPD provided protection to Bragg and members of the office. Sewell said any threats to city officials are taken seriously.
Sewell noted that an investigation is still ongoing after white powder was found inside an envelope last Friday along with a note threatening Bragg. That white powder was later determined to be harmless.
12:45 p.m. -- Trump unlikely to have mugshot taken
It remained unclear Tuesday if Trump would be required to have a mugshot taken, but it sounds like it won’t happen.
Fox News reported that the Manhattan D.A. had waived the mugshot requirement.
According to the New York Times, the general expectation is that he won’t have one taken, since he’s such a well-known figure who has had thousands of photos taken of him.
The process would only add to the delicate security dance happening for his arraignment, according to the report.
And even if a mugshot is taken, authorities don’t have to release it.
Trump will have to submit fingerprints and will technically be under arrest when he surrenders to the Manhattan D.A. to face the charges. However, he’s not expected to be handcuffed, as he’ll already be surrounded by Secret Service agents who protect him. He’s also not expected to be held in a cell.
CNN reported that Trump was preparing one brief line to tell reporters before entering the courtroom. It’s unclear what it might be—and he could decide on his own to say more or nothing at all, according to the report.
12:15 p.m. -- Streets closed ahead of Trump trip to courthouse
More streets were being closed around noon as Trump prepared to head to the courthouse for his arraignment.
There were “frozen zones” around Trump Tower, 56th Street was closed between Sixth and Madison avenues.
Centre Street was closed north of Worth Street, by the courthouse and just off the Brooklyn Bridge.
“Rolling” street closures will follow Trump’s motorcade downtown.
Meanwhile, outside the courthouse, protesters for and against Trump were yelling at each other behind barricades as the NYPD kept watch.
11:55 a.m. -- Trump impersonator drives by Trump Tower
A Trump impersonator in a mock Cadillac presidential limo was among the characters who turned out Tuesday ahead of Trump’s arraignment.
The impersonator drove past Trump Tower in the limo, waving to crowds along the street.
The limo was trailed by a large pickup truck with pro-Trump flags.
Trump still hadn’t left Trump Tower for the courthouse shortly before noon.
11:15 a.m. - Marjorie Taylor Greene whisked off by security after brief appearance
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene briefly rallied supporters of Trump outside the Manhattan courthouse ahead of the former president’s arraignment.
A large crowd surrounded the Georgia Republican as she made her way through a park where hundreds of onlookers and journalists gathered.
Greene made a fast exit after being drowned out by anti-Trump protesters and getting a glimpse of the commotion. It was unclear whether she would return.
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said his message for Greene was that she should “be on your best behavior.”
11 a.m. -- Trump expected to leave for courthouse soon
Trump is set to leave for Manhattan Criminal Court soon. It’s unclear when he’ll depart, but he’s expected set to leave by motorcade before noon.
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina waved to reporters as he entered Trump Tower after 10 p.m.
He’s likely meeting with the former president ahead of their departure for the arraignment.
10:45 a.m. -- Pro-Trump rally unsanctioned by NYC Parks Dept.
The city Parks Department has not approved a pro-Trump rally, which will be headlined by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Tuesday outside Manhattan Criminal Court.
The New York Young Republican Club is organizing the protest. Gavin Wax, the group's president, has been actively promoting the event on social media, which is set to take place Collect Pond Park.
However, a department spokesperson told the Gothamist that the event is technically unsanctioned because no one from the group submitted an official permit request.
According to Buzzfeed News reporter David Mack, Greene arrived at the protest early Tuesday morning, trailed by a large media contingent as well as "boos and cheers."
He tweeted that one woman was overheard heard yelling, "You don't belong in our city!"
The Republican firebrand reportedly only made brief remarks before being rushed out of the park. It's unclear if she planned to return.
10:15 a.m. -- Santos shows up as protests get heated downtown
Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos arrived at a rally against Trump’s indictment in Lower Manhattan as some scuffles were breaking out in the area.
Santos told The Associated Press that he didn’t plan to go inside the courthouse but came to “support to president.”
“I want to support the president, just because I think this is unprecedented, and it’s a bad day for democracy,” Santos said. “What’s to stop the next prosecutor in two years from doing the same thing to Joe Biden and moving on every four years? So this makes bad precedent legally. And it makes, it cheapens the judicial system, and it’s not good for America.”
Santos—who has so far resisted calls for his resignation over a scandal over lies he’s told—was clad in a suit and aviators as he spoke with protesters and reporters at Collect Pond Park, where the New York Young Republican Club was set to hold a 10:30 a.m rally with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The park is across the street from the courthouse at 100 Centre St. where Trump will be arraigned at 2:15 p.m.
Barricades separated the pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters.
It was by and large peaceful as of 10 a.m., but some skirmishes reportedly did break out at the park and had to be broken up by police, who were mainly sticking to the perimeter.
At one point a woman in a Trump MAGA hat rushed at a giant anti-Trump banner, reading “Trump Lies All the Time,” that was unfurled on the ground.
Among the people in the area was NYPD Chief of Dept. Jeffrey Maddrey, who was surveying the area amid heightened security.
9:25 a.m. -- Trump will reportedly speak with reporters at courthouse
Trump attorney Chris Kise told CNN that he expects Trump to speak to reporters on camera in the hallway outside the courtroom.
"The president is resilient, upbeat, and is as determined as ever to fight off drivers of injustice," Kise told the outlet after meeting with Trump at Trump Tower overnight.
Trump plans to speak in the hallway both before and after his arraignment, according to CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins.
The former president doesn’t have any official remarks planned, and his lawyers have reportedly warned him any comments that he makes could weaken his case.
9 a.m. -- Manhattan D.A. Bragg arrives at courthouse
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrived at court Tuesday morning in New York ahead of Donald Trump's arraignment.
Photos show Bragg walking into Manhattan Criminal Court, which is swarming with media members.
The D.A. has been the target of numerous threats since the indictment was announced last week. Security in the area is extremely tight.
There was also a heavy police presence at Trump Tower, where Trump remained as of 9 a.m. Crowds of spectators were also gathering outside the skyscraper ahead of Trump's departure.
8:45 a.m. -- Trump attorney "guarantees" no guilty plea
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said the former president's appearance in court for Tuesday’s arraignment would be brief because the processing “does not take long.”
“It won’t be a long day in court,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
"We know the basis of the indictment and the factual allegations in the indictment,” Tacopina said, adding Trump would maintain his innocence.
“One thing I can assure you as I sit here today, there’ll be no guilty plea in this case. That’s one thing I can guarantee you,” he said.
Tacopina appeared to predict the case would ultimately be dismissed.
“I don’t think this case is going to see a juror,” he said. “I think there’s a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully.”
8 a.m. -- Trump to leave for courthouse in the morning
Donald Trump will be driven from his luxury Trump Tower apartment on Fifth Avenue to the worn-down courthouse in Lower Manhattan. In addition to “frozen zones” around his residence, “rolling street closures” will follow his motorcade as it travels to Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street. The three-mile trip should only take a matter of minutes.
Once he's arrived, Trump will be taken through a side entrance blocked off by police. He’ll be processed, fingerprinted, and possibly photographed—all in private. Then he’ll come into court using a special elevator. He’ll only be visible in the hallway for several seconds.
Thus, don’t expect to see much of Trump during the proceedings. Video and audio won’t be allowed in the courtroom, and still photographers will only be permitted for a few minutes, the judge ruled.
While the indictment is still sealed, word is Trump is looking at more than 20 criminal counts, including felonies, for allegedly falsifying business records to make a $130,000 payment just before the 2016 presidential election to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels about an affair that Trump denies.
After the arraignment, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg is scheduled to hold a briefing at 3:30 p.m.
Trump will immediately leave for LaGuardia Airport to be flown back to Palm Beach, Florida, where he’ll deliver his own address from his Mar-a-Lago estate at 8:15 p.m.
7 a.m. -- Broadcasts won’t be allowed inside courtroom
The judge presiding over the case, Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, ruled that still cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during Trump’s arraignment, but audio and video will not be permitted.
However, only five still photographers will be permitted, and that’s to snap photos for just several minute at the start of the arraignment.
Additionally, no electronics will be allowed in the main or overflow courtrooms, the judge ruled.
New York’s laws on courtroom broadcasts are the most restrictive in the nation, but news outlets had pushed for videocameras, noting the historic nature of the proceedings.
In his ruling, Merchan acknowledged, “this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed.”
A media frenzy was already happening at the courthouse Tuesday morning. Journalists waited outside all night to get inside.
Trump’s arraignment will be at 2:15 p.m. in a 15th-floor courtroom of Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street. Court officials have reportedly cleared all other scheduled trials for the arraignment.
Trump will not be cuffed, but he will be fingerprinted. It’s unclear if he will have a mugshot taken.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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