Former US President Donald Trump surrendered himself to criminal charges on Tuesday at a Manhattan courthouse, becoming the first former president to face criminal charges.
The charges stemmed from hush money payments in 2016 and the indictment contains multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense. Trump was booked and arraigned, and will plead not guilty. He is expected to be released by authorities after the arraignment as charges against him do not require bail to be set.
New York police were prepared for protests by Trump supporters who see the grand jury indictment and other pending investigations as politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024.
Although police said there was no intelligence suggesting violence was likely, they were on high alert for potential disruptions. Prosecutors say their case against Trump has nothing to do with politics, while Trump and his supporters claim that the case is a “witch hunt.”
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