Fake Mugshot, Santos Storming Off And More

Topline

Former President Donald Trump’s court appearance Tuesday included the sober processing and arraignment proceedings common for criminal defendants across the U.S., but essentially every other aspect of the unprecedented prosecution of a former president served as a spectacle, leading to several unforgettable moments through the day.

Former President Donald Trump makes his way inside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York … [+] City on Tuesday. (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

The most striking moment may have been Trump’s long-awaited appearance in the 15th floor hallway of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, where he walked silently into the courtroom with a gaunt look on his face—apparently scrapping plans to give a statement to reporters.

Pictures then quickly emerged of the former president of the United States sitting in the packed courtroom as a defendant, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in a hearing that took place for the better part of an hour—confounding legal experts since arraignments typically take just a few minutes.

Trump reportedly did not receive a mugshot, but that didn’t stop his 2024 presidential campaign from sending out a fundraising email with a fake one, offering a “NOT GUILTY” t-shirt with the fake mugshot in exchange for a $47 contribution.

Outside the courthouse, the most prominent figures to show up to the small pro-Trump protests bolted before he even reached the building: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) left after her speech was drowned out by whistling and banging drums, hours after claiming counter-protesters “are coming to commit assault that can cause audible damage to everyone’s ears.”

Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) also made an appearance, but appeared to storm off due to the immense media presence, telling reporters: “you guys make it unbearable for people.”

Social media also erupted over posts related to the court appearance—tweets from Donald Trump Jr. showing pictures of the daughter of the judge presiding over the case and connecting her politically to President Joe Biden were widely blasted, while Judge Juan Merchan reportedly warned those present at the arraignment against posting inciteful content.

Stormy Daniels—the porn star at the center of the criminal case, which focuses partly on a payment to cover up an alleged affair she had with Trump before he ran for office—also lit up Twitter with a raunchier take on the day’s events, tweeting that she’s happier in her line of work than where Trump ended up.

Crucial Quote

“Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,” Trump said on Truth Social while his motorcade was en route from Trump Tower to the courthouse—a trip tracked by multiple news helicopters and broadcast live across major cable news networks.

Key Background

Trump made history Tuesday as the first American president ever to be arrested, on charges Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg likened to “bread and butter” white-collar crime. Bragg’s office says Trump falsified business records by mislabeling a set of hush money payments made to cover up alleged affairs with Daniels and two other women. Security was tight and Trump’s movements were heavily choreographed, after the former president called for protests and warned of “death & destruction” if he was indicted, but authorities never said they received credible threats and demonstrations remained peaceful Tuesday. The court unsealed Trump’s indictment as part of the arraignment proceedings, though the 16-page document contained few substantial details about the allegations against Trump. The former president’s lead attorney, Todd Blanche, blasted the indictment as “boilerplate,” saying there were “not really any surprises,” while fellow defense attorney Joe Tacopina said Bragg was overstepping his authority by supposedly basing his case on federal issues that do not bear weight in a local courtroom.

What To Watch For

Trump plans to give a speech at Mar-A-Lago at 8:15 p.m. Eastern time.