Former President Donald Trump landed in New York Monday afternoon ahead of his historic indictment in Tuesday’s Stormy Daniels hush money case.
It will make Trump the first former US president to be prosecuted when charged, fingerprinted and photographed in the downtown Manhattan courthouse.
Trump Force One landed at LaGuardia Airport just after 3:30 p.m. after flying from Mar-a-Lago, where supporters greeted him as his motorcade swept out of the gates.
Trump, his associates and legal team then made the 10-mile journey from Queens to Trump Tower, where he waved before ducking into a side entrance to the property.
He balked at using his usual entrance, where crowds gathered awaiting his arrival and police officers lined the streets.
Former President Donald Trump enters Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he will spend the night before his impeachment
Trump looks toward the crowd as he enters a Trump Tower entrance less than 24 hours before his court appearance in the Stormy Daniels hush money case
The former president steps off the plane at LaGuardia Airport after his plane landed just after 3:30 p.m. Monday
New York braces itself for possible protests. Police began building barricades at the edge of sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building downtown over the weekend.
On Monday, his motorcade pulled up to his jet in Florida and the former president boarded alone before campaign officials and attorneys followed him up the back steps.
After leaving office, his presidential motorcade was reduced to about four vehicles. But on Monday it was crowded with staff from additional SUVs.
His campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, along with senior adviser Jason Miller and spokesperson Steven Cheung, traveled with him along with his son Eric.
His lawyers have said he will plead not guilty and his legal team is preparing to bring in a constitutional expert amid fears the judge will muzzle the case.
On Monday, his legal team also asked the judge to ban cameras from the courtroom and hired top defense attorney Todd Blanche to strengthen his defense.
The charges against Trump remain sealed, but are believed to stem from an investigation into $130,000 in hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
“I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago at 12 noon Monday and going to Trump Tower in New York,” the former president wrote Sunday night.
“On Tuesday morning, believe it or not, I’m going to the courthouse. America shouldn’t be like this!’
Court officials say he is due to be charged at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.
He is then expected to return to his home in Mar-a-Lago where he plans to give a speech in the evening.
Trump’s private plane is parked on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport, with Rikers Island Jail in the background
Trump landed in New York Monday afternoon before his motorcade made the journey to his home in the heart of the Big Apple
The Trump jet flew past the Manhattan skyline as it approached Manhattan
Trump’s motorcade leaves LaGuardia in Queens before heading to Manhattan
Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport to board his plane for a flight to New York on Monday afternoon. He is due to present himself to the authorities on Tuesday
Trump’s motorcade left Mar-a-Lago for the short trip to Palm Beach International Airport around 12:20 p.m. Monday afternoon. Supporters lined up along the route
One of Trump’s aides, dressed in high heels, boards the plane as part of his entourage
Donald Trump paused, turned and waved as he boarded his plane to fly to New York on Monday afternoon. He was accompanied for the flight by campaign staff and lawyers
Eric Trump was spotted en route to Palm Beach International Airport before departure
Eric tweeted a photo of the TV in the main cabin with a picture of Trump Force One
Trump supporters line the streets outside of Mar-a-Lago en route to Palm Beach International Airport, where his journey to Manhattan begins
A member of his MAGA cronies gives a thumbs up as she waits for the ex-president to walk by
New York braces itself for possible protests. Police began building barricades along the sidewalk edges around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building
Despite his historic legal ordeal, Trump supporters were optimistic Monday, predicting that “45” would beat the yet-to-be-disclosed charges believed to be related to alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Among them was Bob Kunst, 80, who had a blunt message for Manhattan District Attorney Melvyn Bragg, the architect of last week’s controversial grand jury indictment.
“He’s stupid, he should have his license revoked – the real criminal is Joe Biden,” Kunst told . “All he’s done is help Trump. People will flock to his side. We all see how dirty this is.
“Bragg is playing a fascist game. He won’t deal with criminals in his own town or go after killers – he just wants to stop Trump.
His anger was echoed by Joe Rodkey, 76, a retired Navy veteran and former school principal, who added: “What was done to Trump is so wrong.
“Ever since he came down the stairs in Trump Tower and declared that he was running for President, they’ve been after him.
“Before that, he was just a rich celebrity and they loved him.
“This Bragg guy knows he’s not going to win, but he’s making a name for himself. Those of us who have been on the fence will say this is just plain wrong, it’s an attack on our rule of law, it’s an attack on our justice system.
Fanatical supporters wore MAGA hats, waved “Trump 24” banners and even posed in Truth Social merchandise to get a glimpse of Trump.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an invitation to join her at a protest near the courthouse.
“They’re not after President Trump, they’re after us, he’s just getting in their way,” she wrote.
Trump’s legal team is increasingly worried he’s being muzzled.
“President Trump stands for transparency and our American Constitution, and any attempt to prevent him, the front runner for President, from exercising his First Amendment right is a tyrannical move by a Third World country that further proves that.” this is nothing more than a political witch hunt using an armed justice system,” a spokesman said.
“All Americans should be concerned that their rights are being violated, and any attempt to interfere with President Trump’s right to use his voice to speak truth to power should never be tolerated.
“The whole targeted crusade is a complete political farce by the Manhattan Attorney’s Office to rig and disrupt an election against President Trump and his supporters.”
The news of the indictment broke last Thursday.
It emerges from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump insists he is innocent and his allies say the charges are politically motivated.
Barricades were erected around Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in preparation for the former President’s arrival
The Manhattan District Attorney arrives at his office Monday morning ahead of Trump’s flight to New York for his indictment
Joe Tacopina and Susan Necheles are both veterans of the New York celebrity testing circuit. But while Tacopina is known as a streetfighter, Necheles brings a more academic approach
A grand jury has heard evidence supporting claims that Donald Trump paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to buy her to remain silent about their affair
His lawyers are preparing a motion to dismiss the case.
Joe Tacopina said Sunday some arrangements for the arrest and indictment had yet to be resolved.
He told CNN that a “perp walk,” in which a suspect is paraded in front of the media, is unlikely due to security concerns
“I honestly don’t know how that’s going to go – hopefully as smoothly as possible – and then we start the fight to right that mistake,” he said.
Trump is expected to appear before Judge Juan Merchan, who also sat on the criminal case last year when the former president’s company was convicted of tax fraud.
A court official said he would decide on Monday whether cameras would be allowed in the courtroom.