NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will deliver remarks Tuesday night in Florida after appearing in court in New York on charges related to undisclosed payments, his campaign announced Sunday.
Trump will hold the event at his Mar-a-Lago club after he returns from Manhattan, where he is expected to voluntarily surrender. He is expected to be joined by supporters in Florida as he tries to project an image of strength and defiance and turns the allegations into a political asset to boost his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump faces multiple counts of falsifying corporate documents, including at least one felony, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet public because the indictment remains secret.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and blasted the investigation as part of a years-long “witch hunt” designed to damage his candidacy.
Trump’s aides and lawyers went back and forth on his wisdom to reporters after the indictment as they digested news of an indictment that surprised many of them. Trump has been catapulted back into the headlines by the criminal charges and is enjoying the media attention, and while some of his lawyers would have preferred to remain silent, his campaign believes the development has emboldened his supporters.
Already, the Trump campaign says it has raised more than $5 million and registered more than 16,000 volunteer sign-ups since the impeachment, which Trump spokesman Steven Cheung called “key indicators that Americans everywhere in mass- the media are tired of lining up the justice system against President Trump and his supporters.”
Trump was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday in the case involving money paid during the 2016 presidential campaign to a porn actor who claims Trump had an extramarital sexual encounter with her years ago.
In televised interviews on Sunday, Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said he would carefully review the indictment once he receives it, then devise his next legal steps. He dismissed questions about changing venue or filing a motion to dismiss the case as premature, although it is common for defense attorneys to do both.
“It’s too early to start deciding whether or not to file motions and we need to see the indictment and get down to business,” he told ABC This Week. “I mean, look, this is the beginning.”
The former president is expected to fly to New York at noon Monday and stay overnight at Trump Tower in Manhattan before a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans to travel. .
He is due in court Tuesday morning, where he will be fingerprinted and photographed, like anyone else charged. Detectives will fill out warrants for his arrest and see if he has any criminal charges or outstanding warrants.
Once the booking is finalized, Trump will appear before a judge for an appeal this afternoon. It will take place in the same Manhattan courtroom where his company was tried and convicted of tax fraud in December and where disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial took place.
But Tacopina said much of what happens Tuesday remains “up in the air,” given Trump’s unique status as a former president, “beyond that, we’re going to say loud and proud ‘Innocent.’
“Obviously, this is different. This has never happened before. We’ve never had the Secret Service involved in an indictment at 100 Center Street,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” using the court address. “I hope it’s as painless and elegant as possible for such a situation. .”
The judge could at some point decide to bar anyone involved in the case from talking about it publicly, but that is unlikely to happen during Tuesday’s proceedings. A gag order is usually used as a way to avoid tainting potential jurors. But often it’s done at the defendant’s request, and in this case, Trump is the one doing the talking
Secret Service and New York Police Department officials visited the courthouse and met Friday about security plans.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a key Trump ally, and the New York Young Republican Club are planning a “peaceful protest” against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg across the street from the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
___ Long time reported from Wilmington, Delaware.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.