Trump indictment live updates and latest news

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in contrast to some of her Republican colleagues in Congress, did not condemn a Manhattan prosecutor for getting a grand jury to indict Trump.

“I am monitoring Donald Trump’s legal situation as it unfolds,” Murkowski said in a statement.

“No one is above the law in this country, but everyone deserves a fair legal process,” she said.

Murkowski was one of just seven Republicans in the Senate who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial. In that case, Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In the Manhattan case, Trump is charged with a slew of crimes related to a hush money payout to a porn star in 2016.

“The indictment of a former President is unprecedented and must be handled with the utmost integrity and scrutiny,” Murkowski said.

“Instead of rushing to individual judgment, we must also evaluate the evidence as it becomes available and use it to inform our opinions and statements about what is actually happening,” she said.

— Dan Mangan

A slim majority of American voters approve of former president Donald Trump being indicted by a New York grand jury, according to a new Morning Consult poll.

The survey, which was taken the day after Trump was indicted, shows that 51% of participants approved of indictment. That slim majority was “driven by 83% of Democrats and 49% of independents,” according to Morning Consult.

Meanwhile, 70% of GOP primary voters that were polled disapprove of the indictment.

Another key to the poll was whether the indictment was backed by evidence or more so related to political motivations.

“While 46% of voters think the grand jury’s decision was primarily informed by evidence that Trump committed a crime, another 43% say the overriding cause for its conclusion was motivation to damage the former president’s political career,” Morning Consult says. “The latter sentiment is held by 78% of potential GOP primary voters.”

– Brian Schwartz

Law enforcement authorities do not plan to place Trump in handcuffs, put him into a holding cell, or take a mug shot of him when he is booked before arraignment Tuesday in a Manhattan courthouse.

But Trump will be fingerprinted, officials familiar with the planning told NBC News.

Officials said the current plan calls for Trump to arrive Monday evening at La Guardia Airport in Queens, and then he is expected to be driven to his residence at Trump Tower in Manhattan, NBC reported.

On Tuesday morning, he will be driven downtown to the Manhattan Supreme Court, and taken directly to the 15th floor of the courthouse for arraignment.

All other courtrooms in the Supreme Court sections of the courthouse will be adjourned in the afternoon to reduce the number of people around the area.

— Dan Mangan

Trump was “upset and disappointed” on Thursday night after learning a New York grand jury had indicted him, Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Washington Post.

But the former president also was “very calm” during a phone call with Graham, the South Carolina Republican who has remained a staunch Trump ally for years.

Trump complained, “They are using the law as a weapon against me,” Graham recounted to The Post.

Graham also predicted, “From a political point of view, it’s going to solidify Trump’s standing with the Republican Party.”

The senator posted a snarky Twitter thread about the indictment that seemed to suggest Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was treating Trump harsher than people accused of violent crimes.

— Dan Mangan

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is running Facebook ads to raise money off of his indictment by a New York grand jury, leveraging the platform it only regained access to last month after a two-year ban sparked by the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Trump’s campaign for president started running Facebook ads on Friday that criticize the indictment and urge his supporters to help him by donating, according to the social media giant’s ad archive. The archive shows at least three different Trump campaign fundraising ads that leverage the indictment.

“The Radical Left – the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this country – have INDICTED me in a disgusting witch hunt,” one Facebook ad run Friday says. “Please make a contribution of $47 or more by 11:59 P.M. to help DEFEND our movement from the never-ending witch hunts during these dark times – and we’ll send you your very own ‘I Stand with President Trump’ T-shirt for FREE.”

The 11:59 deadline marks the end of the first quarter fundraising period for all campaigns. The Facebook ads, run through Trump’s page, say they were paid for by the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee.

— Brian Schwartz

Trump plans to fly from Florida to La Guardia Airport in New York City on Monday night ahead of his scheduled arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court the next afternoon, NBC News reported.

La Guardia is one of two airports in Queens, the Big Apple borough where Trump was raised.

After landing at La Guardia, Trump will be taken by helicopter to Manhattan and will spend the night at his residence in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, NBC reported.

Officials told NBC that “dozens and dozens” of Secret Service agents are involved in the security for the transportation.

He is scheduled to appear at 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday in court after surrendering to authorities at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for booking.

After being arraigned on what are said to be about 30 criminal charges, Trump then plans to fly back to Florida, where he lives at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.

That plan could change depending on any travel restrictions a judge imposes, although that is not expected.

— Dan Mangan

The New York Supreme Court released the order that granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office the authority to disclose Trump’s indictment to the public.

Bragg applied for the disclosure on Thursday when a New York grand jury indicted Trump for a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election cycle.

The order “authorizes the Office of the District Attorney to disclose to the public that the grand jury has returned a true bill … and that said indictment has been filed with the court,” according to official court documents.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Bragg’s office issued a statement saying the office had contacted Trump’s attorney to arrange his surrender “on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

— Chelsey Cox

Trump will return to New York a week after his criminal case arraignment to be deposed for a civil lawsuit against him by state Attorney General Letitia James, NBC reported.

James accuses Trump, three of his adult children and the Trump Organization of widespread fraud related to years’ worth of false financial statements.

Her suit seeks $250 million in damages.

Trial in the lawsuit is set for this fall.

— Dan Mangan

Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of former President Donald Trump, said she feels pain for her father, a day after his indictment by a New York grand jury.

“I love my father, and I love my country. Today, I am pained for both,” Trump, who is married to former Trump aide Jared Kushner, posted to her public Instagram story.

Trump added that she “appreciates the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern.”

The statement came out about 20 hours after the indictment announcement. In contrast, Trump’s brothers Donald Jr. and Eric immediately and severely condemned the prosecution.

Instagram stories are a temporary posting method. The stories disappear within 24 hours of sharing.

—Chelsey Cox

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in the same Manhattan courtroom where fallen film producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and another sex crime in 2020.

The courtroom is also where two subsidiaries of Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, were convicted in December of tax fraud, falsifying business records, conspiracy, and other crimes after a trial, a court spokesman told CNBC.

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in New York prison after being convicted in the rape case that ignited the #MeToo movement in the United States.

In December, a Los Angeles jury convicted Weinstein of rape and other sexual crimes.

Before his fall, Weinstein was a major force in Hollywood, producing films that included “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “Gangs of New York.”

— Dan Mangan

Trump has reached out to his Republican allies in Congress to discuss their public defense of him after his indictment, NBC News reported.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida told Fox News that Trump was “resolute and focused” when he spoke to the former president.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina beseeched Fox viewers to contribute to Trump’s campaign, which he said would help with his legal defense. 

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, for weeks has been investigating President Joe Biden and the business dealings of Biden’s relatives, including his son Hunter Biden.

A spokesperson for Comer told NBC that Comer has not spoken to Trump since 2020 and has promised not to have contact with the ex-president until his Biden probe is completed.

— Dan Mangan

Trump’s indictment over a hush money payment to an adult film star provoked mixed reactions from people visiting the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“It’s high time he got indicted for something,” Dennis Hobb told NBC News.

But, “I’m surprised it’s this,” Hobb added.

“It looks like there would be other things they could get him on better, but the man has evaded legal ramifications for so long. It’s time something happened,” he said.

Gerald Glandon, a former Republican who now leans more liberal, thinks Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would not have pursued the case without having enough evidence.

But Glandon was unsure of whether Trump will be convicted.

“I’ve listened to the news. We know what we don’t know … but there must be something there to bring it forward,” Glandon said. “I have no idea what the outcome is gonna be but I’m not hopeful. It’s like a long shot, but nobody’s above the law.” 

Sheryl Freedman said that other possible charges against Trump — for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and for seeking to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential contest — are more substantial.

And she warned, “I think it’ll embolden him if these charges in New York don’t go through.”

“I don’t know how much about how January 6 is going to work. I think [a prosecutor in ] Georgia has probably the best chance just because I think there’s direct evidence of him contacting the governor and other election officials.”

— Chelsey Cox

A collection of front pages of newspapers, and the ticker outside the headquarters of Fox News, shows how media outlets covered Trump’s historic indictment.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Trump’s indictment, and said the Oval Office was not told ahead of time it would take place.

“Look, we’re just not going to comment,” Jean-Pierre said. “We found out, all of us, including the president, found out about the news yesterday, just like every other American through the news reports.”

Jean-Pierre said White House chief of staff Jeff Zients informed President Joe Biden of the indictment when the news broke. She declined to speculate on potential protests, but said the White House “supports Americans who want to protest peacefully.”

Biden repeatedly declined to comment when asked about the Trump indictment Friday morning, citing the ongoing criminal case. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is traveling in Zambia, also declined to comment.

— Emma Kinery

Photos show the New York Police Department ramping up security measures around Manhattan after Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury.

Trump said “I am not afraid of what’s to come” as he tried again to leverage his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury for campaign fundraising.

Trump’s fundraising effort has pushed out at least five emails asking supporters to give his campaign money since news broke late Thursday afternoon that he had been criminally charged in connection with a hush money payment to a porn star.

One of those explicitly notes that “tonight’s FEC end-of-quarter deadline” is “just hours away.” That is a reference to the Federal Election Commission, which requires candidates for federal office to file fundraising data quarterly.

Another email offers t-shirts bearing the date of the indictment.

“I stand with Trump – 3.30.2023,” the shirt says.

— Dan Mangan

Senator Elizabeth Warren D-Mass., said the indictment of Trump shows no one is above the judicial system in the U.S.

“This is a very serious moment in history for us but I see this as we are showing one of the fundamental tenants of a democracy — that the law applies to everyone equally,” Warren said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Friday morning. “No one is above the law, not even a former president of the United States.”

— Emma Kinery

Trump heaped vitriol on the judge who is expected to preside over his arraignment Tuesday, in a verbal attack that could cause headaches for the former president.

In a Truth Social post that misspelled the name of acting New York County Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, Trump claimed the judge “HATES ME.”

Merchan oversaw the tax fraud cases against Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, and its former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg. The ex-Trump executive pleaded guilty in the case and was sentence to five months in jail.

Trump without citing evidence claimed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “hand picked” Merchan for the case. He also alleged the judge “railroaded” Weisselberg and “strong armed” him in the tax case.

Trump’s criticism of the judge could put him on the path to having that judge or another one order him not to make comments about his pending criminal case to avoid influencing potential jurors. If he violated such a ban he could be found in contempt of court.

— Jacob Pramuk

Former President Donald Trump faces about 30 criminal counts in a Manhattan grand jury’s indictment, according to NBC News.

The indictment remains sealed, however, so it’s not clear what Trump will be charged with, although NBC reported that document-fraud charges are among the counts. The investigation grew out of hush money payments made on Trump’s behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Trump is expected to appear before a Manhattan judge Tuesday.

– Mike Calia

Manhattan prosecutors questioned witnesses at the Trump grand jury about a 2016 hush money payment made to a second woman who has said she had sex with the former president, sources told NBC News.

But it is not known if that $150,000 payoff to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal is the subject of any of the criminal charges in the indictment of Trump the grand jury approved Thursday.

McDougal allegedly had a long-time affair with Trump that began in 2006. He denies her claim.

In 2016, McDougal was paid to keep quiet about her allegations by the then-publisher of The National Enquirer. David Pecker, the boss at the time of that notorious supermarket tabloid, was a friend of Trump who had offered to help quash potentially embarrassing stories about him before the presidential election that year.

Pecker also tipped off Trump’s then-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen that year about the fact that porn star Stormy Daniels was looking to go public about her account of having a one-time sexual tryst with Trump in 2006.

Cohen later paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 to buy her silence. That payment, and the way that the Trump Organization classified Trump’s reimbursement to Cohen as “legal expenses,” is known to be the subject of at least part of Thursday’s indictment.

Pecker testified to the grand jury in late January, right as it began its work. He then returned to testify a second time Monday.

— Dan Mangan

The New York Police Department has seen “no credible threats” to the city after the indictment of Trump.

The NYPD since last week has had mobilization plans prepared for the potential of criminal charges being filed against the ex-president, who is due to appear in state court in lower Manhattan on Tuesday for arraignment in the case.

“The mayor is in constant contact with [NYPD] Commissioner [Keechant] Sewell about all public safety issues affecting the city,” said Fabien Levy, the spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, in a statement.

“The NYPD continues to monitor all activity and there are no credible threats to the city at this time,” Levy said. “The NYPD always remains prepared to respond to events happening on the ground and keep New Yorkers safe.”

— Dan Mangan

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office told several congressional committees in a new letter that Trump and congressional Republicans may not “interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State.”

That clap back from Bragg’s general counsel reiterated that the office will not comply with any request from Republican-led committees in the House to get information about its investigation and criminal charging of Trump.

“Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State’s robust criminal procedure affords,” wrote Leslie Dubeck, the general counsel.

But Dubeck wrote that the committees seeking information about the probe “lack jurisdiction to oversee a state criminal prosecution.”

In the letter, the general counsel called the requests “an unprecedented and illegitimate incursion on New York’s sovereign interests.”

“Even worse, based on your reportedly close collaboration with Mr. Trump in attacking this Office and the grand jury process, it appears you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective,” Dubeck wrote.

— Dan Mangan

President Joe Biden refused Friday — again and again — to comment on the indictment of Trump, his predecessor in the White House, and potentially his opponent in next year’s presidential election.

Reporters asked Biden repeatedly about the unprecedented lodging of criminal charges against Trump, but each time he gave an identical response.

“I have no comment on Trump,” Biden said.

The White House on Thursday made clear it would not weigh in on the indictment after news of it broke in the late afternoon.

Trump faces three other major criminal probes. Two of them are being conducted by the Department of Justice, which is investigating Trump for his efforts to overturn Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, in addition to his retention of government documents at his Florida residence as federal officials sought their return.

A state prosecutor in Atlanta is investigating Trump and multiple allies of his for potentially criminal interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.

— Dan Mangan

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wanted Trump to surrender to his office a day after Thursday’s indictment, the former president’s lawyer told NBC News.

The attorney, Joseph Tacopina, says he nixed that idea, telling Bragg that the U.S. Secret Service, which protects Trump, needed more time to prepare for him to travel to New York and be booked in the criminal case.

The Secret Service has denied that claim by Tacopina, NBC reported.

Sources said Trump’s protective detail could be set to travel with him to New York at a moment’s notice, and that they will do so for Tuesday’s scheduled appearance in Manhattan court.

— Dan Mangan