Trump has arrived in New York to prepare for a criminal case over hush money

Former US President Donald Trump has arrived in New York, where he plans to spend Monday night at his Trump Tower residence before turning himself in on Tuesday to face criminal charges, the first ever brought against a sitting or former US President.

It is unclear what Mr. Trump’s appearance in state court will look like. But his lawyer said he would never plead guilty to the charges. The case relates to a $130,000 payment he made to a porn actress on the eve of his 2016 presidential election victory not to claim to have had a tryst with him a decade earlier. Mr. Trump has long denied that the two had the experience.

On Monday, major cable news networks tracked every minute of Mr Trump’s flight from his Mar-a-Lago resort in the southern US state of Florida to Trump Tower in Manhattan. The former president’s motorcade passed cheering supporters as it made its way from his residence to the airport near West Palm Beach. He flew in his Boeing 757 private jet, painted red, white and blue with his last name printed in big letters.

The former president stepped off the plane at Laguardia Airport in Queens and made a point of walking down the steps alone. Wearing a blue suit and red tie, he was then escorted by a motorcade to Trump Tower.

A grand jury indicted the 76-year-old former president last week on more than 30 criminal counts, officials familiar with the proceedings said. The indictment remains sealed, and the exact allegations and possible supporting evidence may remain secret until it is publicly revealed during Trump’s arraignment before New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan on Tuesday.

When he turns himself in, Trump will likely be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken, just like any criminal defendant. But the authorities said that, out of respect for his status as a former president, he was unlikely to undergo a so-called “perp walk,” in which he would not be handcuffed or walked in front of photographers.

But the question remains: Will the full contents of the indictment be read out in open court? Will still images or video be allowed in court, as the media has demanded? Will demonstrators — whether those who support Mr. Trump and are unhappy with the charges brought by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, or those who want him convicted — gather near the courthouse? If two groups of people show up, will the protest be peaceful?

Dozens of police officers have gathered near Trump Tower and the courthouse, while Trump’s Secret Service guard has mapped the path he would take to enter the courthouse and walk to the courtroom in Merchen. The White House declined to discuss security arrangements but said the administration was “always prepared” to deal with anything that might happen.

Barricades have been erected near the courthouse to limit traffic, but Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican ally of Mr. Trump, and the New York Young Republican Club said They plan to hold a “peaceful protest” against prosecutor Bragg across the street from the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.