Donald Trump entered a New York courtroom to be arraigned and is expected to plead not guilty

Expected to plead not guilty, Donald Trump, the first former president in history to be charged with criminal offenses, has appeared in a New York courtroom to be arraigned.

The specifics of the over 30 charges that he is confronting will be disclosed upon the unsealing of the grand jury indictment. The charges originate from an inquiry concerning a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, commonly known as hush money, during the 2016 presidential campaign.

As he was on his way to the Manhattan district attorney’s office and courthouse for his arraignment, ex-President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, saying:

“Going to the Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. It feels very unreal. They’re actually going to arrest me. It’s hard to believe that this is happening in America. MAGA!”

Donald Trump has been taken into police custody at the Manhattan district attorney’s office before his arraignment in court today, making him the first current or former US president to face criminal charges in history.

While several aspects of his arraignment in New York remain uncertain, the following is what is currently known about the expected sequence of events:

After arriving at the Manhattan district attorney’s office in lower Manhattan, former President Donald Trump has been placed under arrest and is currently in police custody ahead of his upcoming arraignment.

As part of the arrest process, Trump is likely to be fingerprinted, though it’s unclear whether his mugshot will be taken. Next, he will be taken to a courtroom for his arraignment, which is expected to be a brief and standard appearance but nevertheless marks a momentous and surreal occasion in US history.

Despite his arrest, Trump is not anticipated to be handcuffed as he will be continuously protected by law enforcement.

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.