Former President Donald Trump has been arrested in New York City.
Trump was officially arrested upon entering the Manhattan courthouse and surrendering to authorities just after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
"Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!" Trump wrote on Truth Social minutes before the arrest.
Trump's motorcade arrived at the courthouse at 1:24 p.m., and Trump waved to the crowds of protesters who had gathered to support him. Donald Trump has surrendered to Manhattan authorities.
As news alerts started going out about his arrival, the anti-Trump side of the park erupted in cheers
— Zach Schonfeld (@ZachASchonfeld) April 4, 2023
The indictment stems from Trump allegedly falsifying business records concerning a $130,000 payment to Daniels in 2016 over an alleged sexual encounter that the two had in 2006. Trump has denied sexual contact with the pornstar and that the payments violated the law.
The indictment is sealed, but on the eve of the arrest, information leaked to Yahoo News that he was charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records.
Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to charges over the payment in 2018 and was sentenced to three years in prison. In July 2019, federal prosecutors determined that no additional people would be charged alongside Cohen.vManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took the unusual step of reviving the case to bring charges against the former president — which many Republican politicians and commentators have deemed a "political persecution."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke at the protest outside the court house, which the New York Young Republican Club organized. She asserted that Trump would be acquitted of the charges.
“This administration is a failure. They have nothing to campaign on, so they’ve decided to arrest President Trump, who is innocent, on the word of a porn star and a felon,” Greene said. “This is such a failure and this will not stand.” Marjorie Taylor Greene arrives in NYC & immediately calls out Mayor Eric Adams.
"While you allow crime in your streets and you sent your henchman down here... Dems are the party of violence."pic.twitter.com/qMmLxROlEP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 4, 2023
“President Trump will be found innocent. This witch hunt will end. We will not tolerate it. We will not tolerate the hate of the left,” Greene said. “God bless America, God bless President Trump, God bless MAGA.”
The former president's arraignment is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. It is unclear if he will have to take a mug shot.
"Court officials will create a record of his name, age, birthdate, height and weight before taking his fingerprints via a computerized system. They may take his photo," ABC News reports.
The process is not expected to take very long, and Trump is scheduled to speak at 8:15 p.m. at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The former president remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican primary.
This breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available.
