What happens next in Trump's indictment
- Former President Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned in New York on Tuesday and is facing about 30 charges related to document fraud, two sources familiar with the matter said.
- The exact charges are unknown, as the indictment remains sealed.
- Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury in District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into hush money Trump allegedly paid ahead of the 2016 election to keep quiet women who said they had affairs with him. Trump has denied the affairs.
- Trump is the first former president to have been impeached twice and the first to be criminally indicted.
- The former president and his allies have railed at Bragg, denying any wrongdoing and saying the indictment is purely political. Trump's Republican rivals in the 2024 presidential race have also come to his defense.
- Live coverage of Trump’s indictment continues here.
Democrats, Republicans fundraise off of Trump indictment news
Both parties have been quick to fundraise off of the news that Trump was indicted, potentially boosting their campaign coffers on the final day of the first fundraising quarter.
Trump has sent at least five fundraising emails, including quickly after the news broke Thursday evening with the subject line, “BREAKING: PRESIDENT TRUMP INDICTED.” The pitch asked donors to “make a contribution — of truly any amount — to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024.” Trump’s campaign is also selling t-shirts with “I stand with Trump — 3.30.2023” written on them, noting the date Trump was indicted.
Other Republicans blasted the news to their fundraising lists, seeking to capitalize on the potential GOP outrage. An email pitch from GOP Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Senate in Indiana, said Trump has been indicted on “FALSE POLITICAL CHARGES,” even though the charges are not yet public.
Another email that initially appeared to come from “Trump News Alert” on Thursday night was actually from Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley’s campaign. It urged donors to “Stand with President Trump,” directing them to a fundraising page for Hawley, who is up for re-election next year.
A Democrat running against Hawley, Lucas Kunce, also seized on the news, blasting out an image of a tweet Hawley sent earlier this month after Trump claimed he would soon be arrested, where Hawley accused Democrats of wanting to arrest a political opponent and called them “a banana republic party.” “This is what we’re up against here in Missouri,” read Kunce’s fundraising pitch. “Missourians deserve better than a fraud and a phony like Josh Hawley representing them in the U.S. Senate.”
And Kunce wasn’t the only Democrat to jump into the fundraising fray.
N.Y. Young Republican Club to 'rally for Trump' alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
The New York Young Republican Club said today it plans to "peacefully protest" Trump's indictment on Tuesday, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
"Despite the threat of violence and the media salivating over a chance of J6 2.0 we have proven that if you can protest in support of Trump here, you can anywhere," the organization said in a tweet. The group held a very small gathering last week in support of Trump.
Greene, who is one of Trump's most ardent supporters and closest allies, announced her plans to travel to New York on Tuesday, after Trump's attorneys announced his plans to surrender that day.
"I’m going to New York on Tuesday. We MUST protest the unconstitutional WITCH HUNT!" she tweeted.
Two weeks ago, Greene said people should not protest his indictment.
House Democrats allow staffers to work from home as safety precaution
Some Democratic House members are letting their staff work from home in the coming days, citing safety concerns after Trump's indictment.
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell’s office said aides worked from home today and will be monitoring the situation into next week. Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips’ office confirmed that staff will be working remotely on Tuesday, when Trump is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan.
The work-from-home policy was first reported by Axios.
In a Truth Social post on March 24, Trump warned of potential “death & destruction” if he faced criminal charges. Some Democratic lawmakers viewed the message as a threat, reminiscent of the Jan. 6 riot.
On the other side of the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate sergeant-at-arms said in an email to all Senate offices today that “law enforcement is not tracking any specific, credible threats against the Capitol or state offices,” but “there is potential for demonstration activity” in the wake of Trump’s indictment.
Both chambers of Congress are out for a pre-planned recess that ends on April 17.
Who's Judge Juan Merchan? Trump says he 'hates me' but lawyers say he's fair
Donald Trump is dismissing him as a hater, but Judge Juan Merchan, who’s expected to preside over the former president’s arraignment, is a veteran jurist with a reputation for being stern yet compassionate.
“He’s a serious jurist, smart and even tempered,” said Ron Kuby, a longtime defense lawyer in Manhattan. “He’s not one of those judges who yells at lawyers, and is characterized as a no-nonsense judge. But he’s always in control of the courtroom.”
Barry Kamins, a New York judge turned defense lawyer, said his 60-year-old former colleague “is well-known, even in difficult cases, to exhibit excellent temperament, integrity and a solid knowledge of the law.”
Trump has taken a different view of Merchan, the acting state Supreme Court justice who is set to preside over Tuesday’s arraignment and likely oversee any subsequent trial.
Cohen says Trump is using 'mob language' in wake of indictment
Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, said today that the former president is speaking in "mob code" as he rails against the Manhattan DA's probe and his indictment.
“What Donald Trump is doing is he’s using that mob language,” Cohen told MSNBC’s Joy Reid.
According to Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal campaign violation in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush money payment, Trump was using coded language that included a message for witnesses to “be concerned,” while also encouraging his supporters “to do or think that this is what Donald Trump wants you to do, without Donald Trump actually coming out and saying it.”
Cohen said he has concerns about his own safety. "I'm concerned for my safety every day. I'm concerned for my family," Cohen said.
Trump campaign says it's raised $4 million since indictment
In the 24 hours following his indictment, Trump raised over $4 million in donations, with more than 25% coming from first-time donors, his campaign said.
Trump, who has been the GOP’s most prolific fundraiser in recent years, was quick to appeal to his base for money as soon as news broke that he had been indicted. His campaign is now selling T-shirts with “I stand with Trump — 3.30.2023” written on them, noting the date Trump was indicted.
Today is the last day for candidates and political groups to raise money for the first quarter. Campaign finance reports are due to the Federal Election Commission on April 15.
No plans to handcuff Trump when he arrives at courthouse, officials say
There are no plans to handcuff Trump or place him in a holding cell when he arrives at the courthouse on Tuesday, officials familiar with planning for his arraignment said.
Once inside the courthouse, Trump will be escorted to get fingerprinted, but as of now there are no plans to take a mug shot, the officials said.
In an effort to reduce crowds while Trump is at the courthouse, some courtrooms will be adjourned Tuesday afternoon to help ensure safety, the officials said.
It remains unclear if Trump plans to make a public statement after his arraignment.
Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said tonight that he did not anticipate "anything dramatic" like a mug shot or perp walk, telling Fox News' Sean Hannity that "even if they tried to, that would solidify the notion that [Trump] is being so selectively targeted and treated differently than anyone in the world."
Stormy Daniels interview with Piers Morgan postponed for unspecified 'security issues'
Piers Morgan's "exclusive" interview with adult film star Stormy Daniels has been pushed, just hours after it was announced.
In a tweet, Morgan blamed the postponement on "security issues."
"Unfortunately, Stormy Daniels has had to suddenly postpone our interview tonight due to some security issues that have arisen. Hope she’s OK," he said.
Morgan did not mention when would the interview be rescheduled.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was investigating hush money payments Trump allegedly made before the 2016 campaign, including a $130,000 payment to Daniels.