Donald Trump has left his Mar-a-Lago, Florida residence and has taken to the skies to fly to New York and surrender himself to the court after his historic indictment last week.
Trump exited his mansion in a motorcade formed by multiple SUVs and arrived at the airport where numerous media crews were stationed. High levels of helicopter activity was observed above Palm Beach airport as he was about to take off.
He is expected to appear in court tomorrow, Tuesday, and be arraigned over charges, related to business fraud, that a Manhattan grand jury voted to issue at him.
Trump was “gearing up for battle” as he arrived in New York - while Manhattan readied itself for possible violence.
The former President arrived in the Big Apple to scenes of protests and celebrations ahead of his arraignment over his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump is expected to surrender at the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, early today, before being taken to the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building.
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His appearance - the first time a sitting or former US leader has even been criminally charged - will take place at 7.15pm UK time in a 15th-floor courtroom. Justice Juan Merchan, a state Supreme Court judge, will hear the case.
Ahead of his appearance, Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina vowed the businessman’s legal team is “ready for this fight”.
“He’s someone who’s going to be ready for this fight,” the lawyer said.
“We’re ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him.”
Tacopina added his Trump was “gearing up for battle”.
His lawyers have previously stated that he will not be handcuffed when in New York. However, he is expected to be taken through the typical procedure of fingerprinting and mugshots.
As part of Trump’s processing as a criminal defendant, he will have to surrender his passport as well.
As he took off from Florida, Trump wrote on his Truth Social profile: "HEADING TO NEW YORK. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" and then "WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL!" before adding "AMERICA FIRST!"
Trump landed at LaGuardia Airport and will be transported to the Trump Tower where he will spend the night, in the Midtown Manhattan neighbourhood of New York City.
Trump's son, Eric Trump was seen in the motorcade as well.
Meanwhile in Manhattan, thousands of uniformed officers have been deployed while a ring of steel barriers have been erected around the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Armed police have been tasked with keeping pro and anti Trump supporters apart.
New York mayor Eric Adams warned those seeking to cause unrest that New York "is not a playground", but "our home" in a press briefing ahead of Trump's arrival.
He told both sets of supporters to “Control yourselves” while in Manhattan.
He extended the same advice to controversial Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene, who says she will fly to Manhattan to support the former President.
Barricades, media outlets, and police activity have already surrounded the skyscraper since earlier this morning.
Trump's charges stem from hush money payments made to women during his 2016 campaign and form a criminal case unlike any the country has seen so far.
The exact charges have not yet been unsealed, though they are linked to a payment made during the 2016 election to Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump in 2006.
He denies the affair.
Prosecutors are expected to accuse the former president of falsifying business records to hide the nature of the reimbursements to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen who had paid the $130,000 hush money to Daniels.
The attorney was later reimbursed.
The Trump campaign said it had raised more than $5 million in the 48 hours after the former president's indictment being announced last week.
Trump is most likely to plead not guilty during his arraignment tomorrow, as his lawyers have repeatedly declared.
Mr Adams stressed that the city is prepared for this "major historic event" but said there have been "no credible threats" so far.
He specifically mentioned US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's announcement that she will be heading to New York City ahead of Trump's arrival and urged: "While you are in the city, be on your best behaviour."
“Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, she’s stated she’s coming to town,” Mr Adams said. "While you’re in town, be on your best behaviour.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said that they "along with federal state and local partners are prepared to keep the city safe".
Ms Sewell said there have been no credible or specific threats to public safety as of yet.
However, she stressed that there will be intermittent road closures across the city and particularly in the Manhattan area over the next two days, and asked people to use public transport instead of driving, where possible.
Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with the married Trump years before he got into politics.
Trump denies having a sexual liaison with her and denied any wrongdoing involving payments, arguing that the case against him is politically motivated.
Right after he was indicted, the billionaire asked his supporters for donations towards his presidential campaign says, and then said it has raised more than $5 million (£4.07 million) in the first 48 hours.
Tonight it emerged Trump had hired a top white-collar criminal defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor at the 11th hour showing the seriousness at which he is taking the case.
Todd Blanche has been appointed as his lead counsel to handle the criminal indictment.
The attorney resigned from his law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, because “I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up."
Blanche is no stranger to Trump’s circle.
He has previously represented the former president’s ally Paul Manafort who, in 2018, was found guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account.
And today, Trump had become camera shy, opposing an application for cameras to be in court when he is arraigned.
Tonight, there was no indication of a potential backlash similar to the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol two years ago.
Police, the Secret Service and the US Marshals Service have all been coordinating efforts while increasing intelligence gathering and mobilisation.
NYPD has placed about 35,000 officers on standby. The number equates to a force larger than Holland’s entire army.
