Donald Trump indictment updates – Special counsel Jack Smith reveals 38 charges before press conference as lawyers quit
FORMER President Donald Trump has been charged with 37 felony counts for mishandling classified documents and his valet, Walt Nauta, faces an additional count of making false statements.
An indictment unsealed Friday also alleges that Trump described a Pentagon “plan of attack” and shared a classified map related to a military operation.
He allegedly brought the documents to his home in Florida without proper authorization - and will face the charges at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, according to his latest post on Truth Social.
Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith addressed the public on Friday at 3pm ET.
The indictment comes after Trump announced he's running for president again in 2024 - meaning he'll be facing off against DeSantis.
Follow our Donald Trump arrest live blog for the latest news and updates...
Trump enters now
Trump is greeting his followers and the media at Mar-a-Lago as he walks to the podium.
The former president's son Eric Trump is in attendance, as well as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Lindell.
Trump delivers remarks now
Donald Trump is addressing the media from Mar-a-Lago after being arrested and arraigned in New York today.
Tune in on YouTube to see the former president speak - and both have livestreams from the event.
Trump delivers remarks now
Donald Trump is addressing the media from Mar-a-Lago after being arrested and arraigned in New York today.
Tune in on YouTube to see the former president speak - and both have livestreams from the event.
Trump supporters await address
Supporters of Donald Trump are waiting at Mar-a-Lago after the former president shared on Truth Social that he'd address his followers and media following his arrest and arraignment.
“Will be delivering remarks tonight at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 P.M., EASTERN," Trump shared.
Supporters await Trump's remarks following his arraignmentCredit: Getty About Judge Juan Merchan
The high-profile case against Donald Trump will be tried in Manhattan's criminal court and overseen by Judge Juan Merchan.
Judge Juan Merchan is an acting justice of the Supreme Court who often presides over felony-level hearings and trials.
He began his legal career in 1994 at the New York County District Attorney's office after graduating with his law degree from Hofstra University and is now known for his work ethic.
“He is someone who reads every word on every page of every filing and every footnote — and then the cases that you cite to him,” former Manhattan assistant district attorney Jose A. Fanjul told .
“His fidelity to the law and to getting it right lends to him this sort of moral purpose of what he’s doing that makes it a joy to practice in front of him.”
Trump lands in Florida
Donald Trump's plane has landed at Palm Beach International Airport following his arraignment.
The former president is now heading to Mar-a-Lago, where he's expected to make remarks in about an hour.
Trump calls hearing 'shocking'
In a post on Truth Social, former president Donald Trump said that there is ";no case" against him.
"The hearing was shocking to many in that they had no 'surprises,' and therefore, no case," Trump .
"Virtually every legal pundit has said that there is no case here."
He concluded: "There was nothing done illegally!"
Trump to deliver remarks tonight
In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump confirmed that he will speak tonight from Mar-a-Lago.
"Just lifted off for Palm Beach, Florida," the former president said, updating his followers that he left New York after the arrest.
"Will be delivering remarks tonight at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 P.M., EASTERN."
Donald Trump's indictment released
Former president Donald Trump's , obtained by , shows 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The indictment accuses Trump of having "intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission
thereof, made and caused a false entry in the business records of an enterprise."
Trump barely spoke
The notoriously outspoken former president barely spoke during his arraignment today.
After Donald Trump pled not guilty, he sat quietly while his lawyers spoke, according to reporters from the .
Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche objected to prosecutors' claims that the former president made threatening posts online.
Blanche criticized Michael Cohen, Alvin Bragg, and accused prosecutors of heightening the publicity of the case.
Attorneys then discussed a trial date, with prosecutors urging for January 2024 while the defense pushed for the spring of next year.
More revelations on Cohen's payment
The indictment revealed that Michael Cohen was approached with knowledge that Stormy Daniels was claiming an affair with Donald Trump before the 2016 election.
Cohen, Trump's designated "fixer" heard the information shortly after the infamous Access Hollywood tape leaked.
According to the indictment, Trump wanted to wait to pay Daniels until after the election.
The indictment states: “He instructed [Cohen] that if they could delay the payment until after the election, they could avoid paying altogether, because at that point it would not matter if the story became public.”
Trump using fake mugshot for fundraiser
The Trump campaign sent out an email to supporters asking them to donate to his campaign.
The email asked supporters to donate $47 or more for a T-shirt with a fake mugshot of Donald Trump and the words "Not Guilty" written underneath.
The former president did not take a mugshot upon arrest.
Palm Beach security upped
Prior to Trump's arrival from , the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is putting bike racks along a section of the road that goes to Mar a Lago.
Around 8.15pm, Trump is scheduled to make a speech at his estate, Mar a Lago.
Before Trump left for New York yesterday, the cops had not yet installed the security measures.
Later, a small group of Trump-supporting demonstrators gathered to applaud as his motorcade passed.
Indictment is 16 pages
The indictment against Donald Trump is 16 pages.
It is now open to the public.
The charge clarified
The official charge against Donald Trump is falsifying business records.
DA Alvin Bragg clarified that there are 34 documents including false records.
He also added the case goes beyond the one $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
The charge clarified
The official charge against Donald Trump is falsifying business records.
DA Alvin Bragg clarified that there are 34 documents including false records.
He also added the case goes beyond the one $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
Bragg is 'no stranger to rigorous, complex investigations'
DA Alvin Bragg told reporters that he is no stranger to complex investigations.
Bragg's predecessors decided not to charge Trump but he believes he has the evidence to indict the former president.
Trump's 'key lie'
Alvin Bragg told reporters Donald Trump repeated a "key lie" for nine months - that he was paying attorney Michael Cohen for legal services.
The district attorney's office has found evidence that these documents are false and the payments were in fact reimbursement fees as a part of a "catch and kill scheme."
Bragg concluded that no power or money can allow you to escape the law.
Made three payments
Alvin Bragg told reporters that Donald Trump and his team made three payments as a part of their hush money scheme.
He clarified the payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels happened three weeks before the 2016 election, violating election laws.
Bragg alleges the false statements to Michael Cohen on these payments is grounds for a felony charge.
Trump repeatedly made false statements
Alvin Bragg told reporters that the jury found 34 documents with false statements.
The district attorney said Donald Trump made these statements as a part of a "catch and kill scheme."
Alvin Bragg speaks
Alvin Bragg has taken the podium in NYC to speak to reporters.
Bragg clarified Trump has committed felony crimes and it can't be normalized because he is a former president.
Another hush money case in the Trump trunk
Michael Cohen, a former fixer and personal attorney for ex-President Trump, reportedly supplied evidence to the Manhattan district attorney's office about payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal as well as the hush money received by Stormy Daniels.
“Michael Cohen submitted a lot of documentation, not only to this group of prosecutors, but to the earlier group. And there are other documents from other people and other testimony from other people, some of it direct, involving conversations with Mr. Trump, concerning the Karen McDougal crime,” Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
“Remember, there are two crimes here. And so the answer is substantial documentation,” Davis added.
Trump is 'frustrated'
Todd Blanche, an attorney on Donald Trump's team spoke to reporters outside the courthouse after the arraignment.
Blanche stated: "It's not a good day ... I don't expect this to happen in this country. You don't expect this to happen ... to somebody who was the president of the United States."
Trump's lawyers maintain he is innocent and the charges against him are politically motivated.
Next in-person hearing set for December 4
The next in-person hearing for on Donald Trump's criminal case is set for December 4, reports.
There is no information as to what the hearing will entail and what Trump will do until then.
‘The rule of law died in this country’
Donald Trump’s attorneys including Joe Tacopina talked to reporters outside.
Tacopina was heated talking about the arraignment and told reporters that: “the rule of law died in this country.”