Donald Trump left Florida on Monday for New York, where he will turn himself into authorities. By doing so, he will enter the uncharted and potentially explosive political territory for the United States.
The 76-year-old Republican will be formally charged on Tuesday over hush money payments made to a porn star during the 2016 election campaign. He is the first American president to ever be criminally indicted.
Numerous people lined the route as Trump’s motorcade sped from his Florida mansion to the airport, where he boarded his personal Boeing 757 with his name emblazoned on the fuselage. Many of them were waving pro-Trump banners and American flags.
Trump waved to the media as he boarded the aircraft heading for the city where he first gained notoriety and where he intends to use his court appearance to garner support for his 2024 presidential campaign.
With security cordons and Secret Service personnel outside Trump Tower and the criminal court where he will appear before a judge on Tuesday afternoon, New York police were on high alert in anticipation of Trump’s arrival.
Anybody physically demonstrating during Trump’s historic arraignment would be “arrested and held accountable, no matter who you are,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said.
