In New York, the surroundings of the Trump Tower where the businessman will stay 36 hours, have been under high security for days, even if only a handful of pro and anti-Trump demonstrators parade there.
DDonald Trump arrived in New York on Monday where a criminal court is to serve him on Tuesday with his indictment in a case of fraud related to the payment of money to a porn star, a historic court appearance for a former president of the United States.
It is an event all the more extraordinary as the 76-year-old Republican billionaire has relaunched himself in the race for the Republican nomination to regain the presidency in November 2024.
His private Boeing 757, named after him, landed around 7:25 p.m. GMT at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Just before leaving his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Donald Trump wrote in capital letters on his social network Truth Social that he was traveling to New York to “make America great again” and that he was victim of a “witch hunt when (his) great country is sinking into hell”.
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In New York, the surroundings of the Trump Tower where the businessman will stay 36 hours, have been under high security for days, even if only a handful of pro and anti-Trump demonstrators parade there.
A first
Unprecedented, the former populist head of state, who upset the political system, society and the balance of power in the United States, was criminally charged on March 30 by Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg. After five years of investigation by the justice of the State of New York.
Donald Trump swears he is “innocent” and his lawyer Joseph Tacopina estimated Sunday that Tuesday would be “the day the rule of law dies in the United States”.
The many cases that stick to Donald Trump’s coattails
The businessman, a native of New York, must be served on Tuesday from 2:15 p.m. (8:15 p.m. Belgian time) with criminal proceedings: they have not been made public but are said to be 30 in number.
This summons, with an unprecedented ritual for a former head of state, should see Mr. Trump decline his name, age, profession, submit to a fingerprinting and be photographed, like all warned.
According to Mr. Tacopina, he will not be handcuffed but may have to walk through the halls of the Manhattan courthouse, in the presence of media.
Before the judge, “the president will plead not guilty” because “there is no criminal offense” according to his defense. Donald Trump should then be released, possibly under conditions, pending the organization of his trial.
