Donald Trump, the former US president and Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, appeared in court on Tuesday to be fingerprinted, photographed, and formally charged with 34 felony counts for falsification of business records. This comes after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week in a case stemming from a 2016 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who is the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges, has said he is innocent and is due to plead not guilty.
Trump's arraignment, where he will have a chance to enter a plea, was brief and led by one of his lawyers, Joseph Tacopina. Five photographers were admitted to the courtroom before the arraignment started to take pictures for several minutes. Trump's lawyers had urged a judge to keep them out, arguing they would worsen an already almost circus-like atmosphere.
Some Trump supporters and detractors gathered outside the courthouse ahead of the arraignment amid tight security, and there were reports of a scuffle between Trump supporters and a protester. The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who led the investigation, is set to give a news conference afterward the arraignment.
Trump and his allies have portrayed the case as politically motivated. Being indicted or even convicted does not legally prevent Trump from running for president, and any trial is at least more than a year away, legal experts said. Trump will return to Florida and deliver remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.
