(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in New York Tuesday. It’s a historic booking and arraignment on charges related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, is now the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.
Ahead of the arraignment, New York City officials bolstered security and warned potential protesters it is “not a playground for your misplaced anger.”
“While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams. “New York City is our home. … We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law.”
The former president arrived in New York on Monday after flying in from Florida. After the arraignment, he returned to Florida, where he addressed supporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Here’s the news and analysis from the day’s events:
No plans for Trump to speak
“As of 12:15pm today, there are no plans for Trump to speak at the courthouse,” reports NewsNation’s Robert Sherman, citing a member of Trump’s legal team.
An unprecedented moment in history
ANALYSIS: The indictment of a former president is an unprecedented event in American history. NewsNation’s Leland Vittert notes it’s also an unprecedented situation for Trump.
“This is the first time we see Trump in a situation he in no way has control of,” Vittert said.
In a courtroom, the judge rules and Trump will be forced to abide by those restrictions.
“He can’t speak unless spoken to, can’t make a speech, can’t take control of the optics,” Vittert said. “We’ve never seen Trump in that situation.”
For the judge, it is also an unprecedented moment and how he handles it could depend on how much attention he wants to draw to the case and himself.
“How much does the judge care about seeing his name on the paper and his face on TV?” Vittert asked.
Judge Juan Merchan has already ruled against allowing video cameras or live photographs during the arraignment, which could be an indication of how he is likely to proceed with a case that sits at the intersection of law and politics.
“In this country, you are entitled to fair trial and presumption of innocence,” Vittert said.
Can Trump get a fair trial?
ANALYSIS: Former defense attorney Jonna Spilbor told NewsNation she doesn’t expect the Manhattan case against Donald Trump to ever make it to trial.
While it’s still unknown what the exact charges are, Spilbor said Trump’s position makes this unique.
“Donald Trump is not a normal defendant, this is not a normal case,” she said.
With Trump’s fame and position as a former president, Spilbor said it’s unlikely that there is any way for him to have a fair trial.
“When you can’t get a fair trial, why are we doing this?” she asked. “Why are we putting the country through this?”
Will the judge issue a gag order for Trump?
ANALYSIS: Legal analyst Misty Marris and trial attorney Brian Claypool joined NewsNation to discuss the possibility the judge will issue a gag order in the case against Donald Trump.
“You can’t arbitrarily issue a gag order before he’s arraigned or at arraignment,” Claypool said, noting that there’s currently no evidence before the court that Trump has argued the case in public or made inflammatory comments.
While Marris doesn’t anticipate a gag order, the judge may issue a warning for all parties to be wary of inflammatory speech.
“Without a gag order and specific parameters, from a legal perspective, Trump is free to say anything he wants,” Marris explained.
With any case, judges must weigh potential impacts on the case with the First Amendment right to free speech.
“The public has a right to hear what parties think about the case,” Claypool said.
Will Trump have a mug shot?
ANALYSIS: Two competing theories have emerged regarding whether or not Trump will have a mug shot when he goes though the booking process. Former Judge Andrew Napolitano told NewsNation New York law does require everyone who is booked to have a mug shot.
“They don’t have the authority to dispense with it,” Napolitano said.
While most states make mug shots available immediately, New York does not, which could mean authorities could try to keep a mug shot under wraps.
Mug shots are meant to help in case someone tries to flee justice, which Napolitano noted isn’t a concern with Trump.
If authorities do deviate from standard procedure and book Trump without a photo, Napolitano said people can still expect to see all kinds of fake versions being circulated online.
What we know so far
NEWS: Trump is expected to leave Trump Tower around 1 p.m. ET, with the arraignment set to occur around 2 p.m. ET. No video cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, though some photographers will be permitted.
The indictment will be unsealed after the arraignment, with more detail on exactly what charges the former president is facing.
It’s unclear whether or not Trump will speak to the crowd after his arraignment, but he is set to give a prime-time speech from his Mar-a-Lago home Tuesday night.
Security tight ahead of Trump arraignment
ANALYSIS: Chuck Marino, CEO of Sentinel Security Solutions and a former adviser to the Department of Homeland Security, discusses the security operations for the unprecedented arraignment of a former president and current presidential candidate.
Blagojevich: Trump indictment is a ‘dark day’ for America
ANALYSIS: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich compares Trump’s indictment to his own case, saying that he is being prosecuted for ” things that aren’t crimes, things that are political.”
” We shouldn’t weaponize the prosecutors’ power to go after any political figure unless you got real corruption, and this is not real corruption,” Blagojevich told NewsNation.
What to expect from Trump’s prime-time speech
ANALYSIS: The Hill’s Julia Manchester discusses what to expect from Trump’s planned address from Mar-a-Lago after his arraignment. Here are three things to expect:
- Manchester expects the speech to be a “grievance session” for the former president
- The Trump campaign is hoping to continue the financial momentum from the indictment
- Trump’s key audience is his supporters and conservative primary voters
CPAC issues statement on Trump arraignment
Crowds gather ahead of arraignment
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— Robert Sherman (@RobertShermanTV) April 4, 2023
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— Robert Sherman (@RobertShermanTV) April 4, 2023
Crowds are already gathering outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is expected to be arraigned around 2 p.m. ET. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene joined the crowd of Trump supporters earlier in the morning while counter-protesters tried to drown her out.
NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman reports the biggest crowd is media, with some journalists camping out overnight to get one of the few spots inside the courtroom.
Security is also tighter around Trump Tower, with levels not seen since the Trump presidency. NewsNation’s Dray Clark reports Greene called New York City Mayor Eric Adams “delusional” after he warned her that she should be on her best behavior visiting the city.