Donald Trump is “ready to fight” his historic indictment on business fraud charges, his lawyer said.
Joe Tacopina insisted the former president had overcome his initial “shock” at being formally accused and was feeling “combative” over a case that has stunned the nation.
Mr Trump is facing more than 30 allegations related to falsifying business records linked to a £105,000 hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Mr Trump has claimed he is “completely innocent” and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of trying to harm his electoral chances.
Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Mr Trump in 2006. Mr Trump has denied the allegation and has disputed knowing anything about any payments.
In interviews with the US media Mr Tacopina said: “We believed and hoped that the rule of law would prevail.
“After he got over that, he put a notch on his belt and he, you know, decided we have to fight now. Now, he is in a typical Donald Trump posture.
“He is ready to be combative on something he feels is an injustice. His knees don’t buckle.”
Mr Tacopina said Trump would not be in handcuffs as is customary for defendants, but there was a possibility he would be “paraded” in front of the public or waiting journalists.
He added: “We’re going to plead not guilty and start talking about filing motions immediately and very aggressively regarding the legal viability of this case.
“President Trump will not take a plea deal in this case. It’s not going to happen.”
Mr Trump lashed out on social media and claimed the judge who will try his case “hates me” but his former fixer, Michael Cohen, claimed it was all bravado and that privately the former president was “beyond angry” at being held to account for the first time in his life.
The first former president to be criminally charged, he is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for next year’s White House race.
Mr Trump is expected to hand himself in to the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Tuesday where he will be “booked” and have his photo and fingerprints taken.
CNN correspondent John Miller claimed that security officials were on Friday conducting a ‘dry run’ of bringing Trump to the court.
He will enter a plea before a judge before being released on bail. The hearing will take place under unprecedented security with dozens of Secret Service agents accompanying him at all times and metal barriers to control the expected protests.
