Before to his anticipated court appearance on Tuesday, former US president Donald Trump is “gearing up for a struggle,” according to his attorney.
On Monday, Mr. Trump is anticipated to take a flight from his Mar-a-Lago residence to New York City to face charges regarding payments made to a porn star as hush money.
After his court appearance, he intends to go back to Florida where he will address his followers.
Trump has maintained his denial of all wrongdoing.
Joseph Tacopina, the former president’s solicitor, vowed to forcefully defend the former president against any accusations.
He’s someone who will be prepared for this fight, Mr. Tacopina said on Sunday during ABC’s This Week programme.
We’re prepared for this battle, and I’m eager to get it over with as soon as possible so that he may be cleared.
According to media sources, Mr. Trump will be charged with more than 30 counts of business fraud for paying Stormy Daniels $130,000 (£105,000) in 2016 in an effort to get her to keep quiet about an alleged affair.
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According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the former president is accused of first-degree business record falsification, a crime under US law.
The charges’ specifics, including what they are and how many there are, are still classified. According to Mr. Tacopina, he has not yet received the charges.
Before to his departure to New York on Monday, Mr. Trump is said to have been planning his defence in meetings with his counsel and legal team.
Law enforcement officials have informed CBS News, a US partner of the BBC, that the former president will be accompanied to New York by agents of the US Secret Service.
He is anticipated to turn himself up to police on Tuesday, with a Manhattan hearing scheduled for 14:15 (19:15 BST).
The criminal arraignment of Mr. Trump will be presided over by Judge Juan Merchan.
For the hearing, the Manhattan courts will be closed in the afternoon, according to his attorney. The former president won’t be handcuffed, but Mr. Tacopina acknowledged that there are still unanswered questions regarding other aspects of the arraignment.
I just don’t know what to expect to see because this is unprecedented, he said.
“I hope that it’s… a typical arraignment where we stand before the judge, say ‘not guilty,’ establish deadlines to file motions and whatnot, and we go on and get out there,” he added.
The FBI, New York City court officers, and Secret Service, among other law enforcement agencies, have been preparing for Tuesday.
In preparation for any protests in the city, the New York Police Department is said to have stepped up security.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican member of the House, will appear at a rally for Mr. Trump in New York at noon on Tuesday and encourage attendees to participate in a “peaceful protest” against the indictment.
After his hearing on Tuesday, Mr. Trump is slated to travel back to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, where he has declared he will deliver a speech at 20:15 EST.
Over the weekend, around a dozen of his followers gathered in front of Mr. Trump’s Florida house and waved “Trump 2024” flags and banners at passing cars. Several of the drivers honked their horns in support, but some also expressed disapproval.
Journalists, photographers, and camera crews awaiting Mr. Trump’s departure to New York outnumbered them at the location.
One woman told the BBC, “We’re just here to let him know we have his back.” He’ll travel to New York and win this very soon, just like he’s always had ours.
In his accusation of “political prosecution,” Mr. Trump, who will run for president once more in 2024, has called the Manhattan district attorney.
He is the first serving or former US president to face criminal felony charges.
Republicans from other parties, like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have come out in his defence and accused the district attorney of using the criminal justice system as a weapon to sway the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
Alvin Bragg, the district attorney for Manhattan, responded by stating that neither the former president nor Congress could intervene in the case because it had been brought by New Yorkers performing their civic duty.
