Former President Donald Trump flew Monday from Florida to New York for his historic booking and arraignment on hush money charges, as the nation鈥檚 largest city bolstered security and warned potential protesters it was 鈥渘ot a playground for your misplaced anger.鈥�
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 motorcade ride from his Mar-a-Lago club to his red, white and blue Boeing 757, emblazoned with his name in gold letters, was carried live on cable television. It took him past supporters waving banners and cheering, decrying the case against him 鈥� stemming from payments made during his 2016 campaign 鈥� as politically motivated.
Trump is already months into a third campaign to reclaim the White House he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020, and he and his advisers seemed to relish the attention. Cable networks followed his plane at airports in Florida and New York with video from the air, and Trump was joined aboard by a small group of senior campaign aides as well as his son, Eric Trump, who eagerly posted photos of the wall-to-wall TV coverage from his seat.
The scene was quite different in New York, where Trump built a national profile in business and entertainment but became deeply unpopular as he moved into politics. Prosecutors say their case against him has nothing to do with politics and have defended the work of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who is leading it.
Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week. The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy 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.
It鈥檚 an unprecedented chapter in American history, with Trump the first former president to face criminal charges. But he鈥檚 betting it could actually boost his chances at winning the presidency again next year. In the meantime, the case is causing major legal, political and cultural events to collide in unprecedented ways.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 team was embracing the media circus. After initially being caught off guard by news of the indictment last Thursday evening, he and his aides are hoping to use the case to his advantage. That idea clashed with the former president鈥檚 own attorneys, however, who asked the judge in a Monday filing to ban photo and video coverage of his arraignment, which is expected Tuesday afternoon.
Repeating his frequent denunciation, Trump posted, 鈥淲ITCH HUNT鈥� on his social media network.
He also bolstered his legal team Monday, adding a third high-profile attorney, Todd Blanche, according to three people familiar with the matter. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, has previously represented 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The people would not publicly discuss details of the legal team鈥檚 plan and therefore spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The former president planned to spend the night at Trump Tower, then surrender to authorities on Tuesday for booking and the arraignment.
Officials have so far not seen an influx of people coming into the city, as was the case in Washington in the days before a mob of Trump supporters overran the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. Still, they warned that possessing a weapon in certain areas of the city, including near courthouses, is a crime.
鈥淲hile there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,鈥� said New York Mayor Eric Adams. 鈥淣ew York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.鈥�
Trump Tower was open Monday, but traffic was expected to be snarled by nearby street closings, especially as the former president came and went. Additional security was also in the works. A small group of supporters hung large 鈥淭rump 2024鈥� banners across from a makeshift pen of reporters, a block away from Trump Tower.
One of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 staunchest defenders in Congress, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, was helping to organize a rally in New York for Tuesday morning, and Mayor Adams took the unusual step of calling her out by name.
鈥淎lthough we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, she鈥檚 stated she鈥檚 coming to town,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淲hile you鈥檙e in town, be on your best behavior.鈥�
Arriving in Minnesota where he was touring a factory to promote his administration鈥檚 economic policies, Biden was asked if he thought there would be unrest in New York.
鈥淣o, I have faith in the New York Police Department,鈥� the president replied. He also said he had faith in the nation鈥檚 legal system.
Florida Trump supporters gathered at a West Palm Beach shopping center on the way to the airport, hours before he was set to pass along the route. Boca Raton firefighter Erik Solensten and his retired colleague, John Fischer, put up banners. One was 30 by 6 feet (9 by 2 meters), picturing police officers and firefighters saying, 鈥淭hanks for having our backs, President Trump.鈥�
鈥淲e are fire-rescue. We are prepared and don鈥檛 like to wait for things to happen,鈥� said Solensten, who took a vacation day to show support for Trump. 鈥淗e needs morale just like everyone else needs morale. He鈥檚 done more for this country than any 10 presidents combined.鈥�
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said the campaign had raised $7 million since word of the indictment broke, but official figures have not yet been released. One Trump fundraising email Monday carried the subject line, 鈥淭omorrow, I will be arrested.鈥�
Top Republicans, including some of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 potential rivals in next year鈥檚 GOP presidential primary, have decried the case against him. Biden, who has yet to formally announce that he鈥檚 seeking reelection next year, and other leading Democrats have largely had little to say about it, including on Monday.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 former U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, was campaigning near the U.S.-Mexico border and suggested that coverage of the former president鈥檚 indictment was distracting from other key issues such as immigration. But she also said, 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a liberal prosecutor that鈥檚 doing political revenge against a former president.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e dealing with a lot of political drama that鈥檚 unnecessary because you鈥檝e got political, vengeful people out there,鈥� Haley told Fox News Channel.
鈥� Michael R. Sisak, Terry Spencer And Will Weissert, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
