Months of anticipation and speculation gave way to a frenzied Thursday afternoon as news broke out of Manhattan Supreme Court that a grand jury had voted to indict former President Donald Trump. It is the first time in U.S. history that a current or former president has faced a criminal indictment.
While grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed the indictment by Thursday evening and said it had contacted Trump’s lawyers to coordinate his surrender.
In the coming days, Trump is expected to be arraigned on the indictment in person in Manhattan Supreme Court, at which point the charges against him will become public for the first time. Once the indictment is unsealed, the public will get the first on-the-record glimpse of the case Bragg and his prosecutors plan to bring against the former president.
Some reports have indicated the arraignment could occur as early as next Tuesday. And in the meantime, New York authorities have been on high alert, bracing for any potential protests or counterprotests as Trump makes his way to Lower Manhattan. Until the indictment becomes public, however, there’s a lingering cloud of speculation and educated guessing about what may be in store for the former president.
Here’s a rundown of what we know and what we still don’t know about this historic occasion.
What does it mean to 'indict' someone?
An indictment simply means that someone is being charged with a crime. In this case, a grand jury composed of 23 citizens from Manhattan voted to formally accuse Trump with charges based on evidence presented by the Manhattan district attorney’s office. In this case, at least 12 of those grand jurors needed to vote in favor of the indictment.
After someone is indicted, they are arrested and arraigned. In an arraignment, an individual appears in court to formally hear the charges they are facing and to enter their plea. Reports of statements from Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina indicate that the former president plans to return to New York next Tuesday to face charges.
“Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” the DA’s office wrote in a statement on Thursday.
What is Trump being indicted for?
We know Trump has been indicted. We know the indictment came amid Bragg’s investigation into a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels — who claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006 — just before the 2016 presidential election. The payment included a nondisclosure agreement that kept Daniels’ story from coming out prior to the election.
But we don’t know exactly what Trump has been charged with. That’s because the indictment remains under seal as of Friday, which keeps it from public view. It will remain that way until it’s unsealed by a court, which will likely happen when Trump is arraigned.
On Thursday, CNN reported that Trump faces more than 30 criminal counts related to business fraud, citing two people familiar with the case. And on Friday, the Associated Press reported that at least one of those charges is a felony offense, also citing two people familiar with the case.
How do we think the law is being applied?
It’s difficult to say when we don’t know exactly what Trump is being charged with.
But we do know Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the Stormy Daniels hush money scheme — having admitted to sending the $130,000 to Daniels through a shell company before seeking reimbursement from Trump’s company. He also admitted to coordinating with members of Trump’s presidential campaign on the matter.
Cohen pleaded guilty to charges related to tax evasion and campaign finance fraud. But his indictment was at the federal level. Trump’s indictment is at the state level.
On Thursday, Cohen — who cooperated with Bragg’s investigation — spoke to MSNBC about Trump’s indictment.
“It shows that the rule of law, that justice, still exists in this country and accountability really matters,” he said.
In Trump’s case, the charges could relate to violations of state election law.
Election law attorney Jerry Goldfeder, director of the Fordham Law School Voting Rights and Democracy Project, said the payment to Daniels could be characterized as an “in-kind contribution” since it was presumably made to support Trump’s presidential campaign, in addition to other breaches of law.
“It wasn’t in [Trump’s] name, which is a violation of the law. It wasn’t disclosed, which is a violation of the law, and it’s also a violation because there were two people at least who conspired to support his election by unlawful means,” added Goldfeder.
Still, Goldfeder stressed that since the indictment is under seal, it’s impossible to speak to the specific charges at this point.
How are New York officials reacting?
Neither New York Gov. Kathy Hochul nor Mayor Eric Adams, both Democrats, have weighed in on the indictment's political implications. Both leaders said they are focused on any potential security concerns arising from the matter.
Hazel Crampton-Hays, a spokesperson for the governor, focused on the state’s efforts ahead of potential protests rather than on the indictment itself.
“We are monitoring and coordinating with NYPD,” Crampton-Hays said.
The reaction from other elected officials is predictably split down party lines.
Even before Thursday’s indictment, Democrats in Manhattan spoke out in support of Bragg, who is also a Democrat, and his commitment to holding the former president accountable. The lawmakers also condemned the racist rhetoric directed at Bragg, Manhattan’s first Black district attorney, from Trump and others on social media.
What are New York Republicans saying about this indictment?
They’re certainly not happy about it.
New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox — who had a fundraising role on Trump’s 2020 campaign but has so far remained neutral in the 2024 race — called Trump’s indictment a “miscarriage of justice, an outrageous violation of democratic norms and a travesty for our politics at home and reputation abroad.”
“This is a blatant political scheme by Alvin Bragg to make a name for himself and play to his liberal Manhattan base by smearing, tearing down and demeaning former President Trump,” Cox said in a statement.
Others went even further, issuing more inflammatory statements that have heightened concerns about potential protests when Trump arrives for his arraignment. (Fabien Levy, Adams’ spokesperson, said there were “no credible threats to the city” as of Friday morning.)
The New York Young Republican Club — which has attracted controversy for its embrace of far-right voices, some of whom have been featured speakers at the club’s events — issued a statement that served as a declaration of war.
“President Trump assured us that he was our retribution,” the statement reads. “Now we must return the rejoinder: our victory will be the joint vindication that our great President Donald J. Trump and our American people both deserve. This is Total War.”
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene is also among those who say they’ll be in New York for protests.
As for Trump, he took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to respond.
“THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS,” he wrote. “THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!”
When do we expect Trump will be in New York City?
Trump is expected to go before the court on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, but the official date has not been confirmed by Bragg’s office.
We do know that Trump is no longer a resident of New York. After the former president left the White House, he changed his residence to Florida, at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Shortly after news of Trump’s indictment was announced, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statement on Twitter calling it a “weaponization of the legal system” and saying “Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda.”
DeSantis – who did not mention the former president in his statement – is also a potential challenger to Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Will this affect my commute?
If Trump does appear in court on Tuesday, there will likely be heightened security around the Lower Manhattan courthouse, as there has been in the days since Trump said his indictment was imminent. If that is the case, drivers will want to steer clear of Manhattan river crossings, especially on the East Side.
While it is still unclear if there will be any hiccups for commuters on Tuesday, public transportation is likely the best option. Officials at the MTA said they are also coordinating with their security teams to ensure the system keeps running smoothly.
“The MTAPD routinely works closely with law enforcement partners, including the NYPD which keeps subways and buses safe, to plan for potential disruptions and address conditions as they arise,” said Pat Warren, the MTA's chief safety and security officer. “We will continue to move riders where they need to go.”
