Trump flies to New York for court surrender

ByGemma Iso

April 4, 2023

People behind the campaign group of former President Donald J. Trump made final plans for his arrest on Tuesday simultaneously trying to make the most of his surrender for political advantage.

Meanwhile, officials in New York, are readying themselves for the circus-like setting that the event is expected to bring.

A Trump Show?

The planning echoes Mr. Trump’s conviction that the indictment will eventually strengthen his standing in his third bid for the G.O.P. presidential nomination, with Republicans rallying to his side. His recent polling has been among the strongest of his 2024 campaign.

On Sunday, a few Trump detractors came to his defense, signifying that the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, might have besieged him unethically. The actual crimes Mr. Trump is accused of are not publicly known, though they are believed to be related to a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former porn star who claims she had an affair with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump is expected to fly into La Guardia Airport from Florida on his private plane on Monday afternoon, and then stay the night at his apartment in Trump Tower, meeting with his lawyers while there. Aides are trying to negotiate a short visit to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, for a midafternoon arraignment.

What will possibly happen

When he arrives in court, Mr. Trump, unlike typical defendants, will be surrounded by a phalanx of Secret Service agents, making all logistics much more complicated.

He will be fingerprinted and will possibly have a police photo taken. While it is normal for defendants charged with felonies to be handcuffed — as the former Trump Organization chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, was in 2021 — one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, Joseph Tacopina, has said he does not expect that to occur.

Police officers were warned that they might be called on for crowd control around the courthouse.

Still, despite concerns about the potential for violence, particularly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob, there were few signs that a repeat was likely.