Former US President Donald Trump has arrived in New York to prepare to appear in court on criminal charges related to the payment of pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels.
The former president is spending the night at Trump Tower in Manhattan, before heading to court later Tuesday.
He will reveal details of the charges against Trump at a hearing that will take place around 14:15 local time (19:15 GMT).
The former president denies any wrongdoing.
Trump will be the first president to face criminal charges in US history.
“Tuesday morning, believe it or not, I’m going to the courtroom,” the former president wrote on his TruthSocial account on Sunday. “America was never meant to be like this,” he added.
Trump traveled to New York on his private jet and was expected to spend the hours leading up to the hearing at his former residence in New York with his legal advisers.
He will travel to Manhattan Criminal Court in a process overseen by US law enforcement agencies.
Trump’s fingerprints will be taken according to the arrest procedures, but it is not yet clear whether he will be photographed.
Then he will appear before a judge who will read out the indictment – the set of charges. His lawyers have previously said he will not plead guilty.
And US media reported that Trump faces at least one misdemeanor for falsifying business records. Other reports indicate that there are about 30 counts in the indictment.
The former president is expected to be released on bail and return to his residence in Florida on Tuesday evening, where he will arrange to deliver a speech at 20:15 local time.
His arrival in New York was preceded by tight security at Trump Tower, his residence, and outside the courtroom.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said early Monday that while the city is not facing any specific threats, officials remain prepared.
“While some antiquarians are considering coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear: Control yourselves,” he added.
What is the accusation story? that are waiting to trump?
In 2016, porn star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump’s team took care of this, and his attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the case.
And this money does not violate the law. However, when Trump reimbursed Cohen for the money paid to the porn actress, Trump’s payment records stated that the money was legal fees.
Prosecutors say this amounts to falsifying employment records.
Prosecutors are likely to point out that this violated election law, since his attempt to hide his payments to Stormy Daniels was motivated by a desire for voters not to know about an affair with her. It is a felony to cover up a crime by falsifying records, which is a more serious charge.
But even advocates of judicial action concede that in either case, this is not a straightforward case. There is no precedent for such prosecution, and previous attempts to accuse politicians of crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have failed.
How did the story of Trump and Stormy Daniels unfold, and what do we know about the case?
