March 30, 2023 Trump indictment news

Our live coverage has moved. Follow the latest on former President Donald Trump’s indictment here.

Donald Trump looks on after concluding his speech during the first rally for his re-election campaign in Waco, Texas on March 25.

Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury in New York Thursday — but that does not mean his 2024 presidential campaign is over.

Trump, who announced his candidacy in November, can still run for president.

“Nothing stops Trump from running while indicted, or even convicted,” said Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Constitution requires only three things of candidates:

As a political matter, it’s maybe more difficult for an indicted candidate, who could become a convicted criminal, to win votes. Trials don’t let candidates put their best foot forward. But it is not forbidden for them to run or be elected.

There are a few asterisks both in the Constitution and the 14th and 22nd Amendments, none of which currently apply to Trump in the cases thought to be closest to formal indictment.

The indictment in New York City with regard to the hush-money payment to an adult-film star has nothing to do with rebellion or insurrection. Nor do potential federal charges with regard to classified documents.

Potential charges in Fulton County, Georgia, with regard to 2020 election meddling or at the federal level with regard to the Jan. 6 insurrection could perhaps be construed by some as a form of insurrection. But that is an open question that would have to work its way through the courts. The 2024 election is fast approaching.

Following the Manhattan grand jury’s indictment of former President Donald Trump, it’s worth looking at the mechanics of what’s going on in the legal system and how the process that applies to everyone is being applied to Trump.

We spoke to Elie Honig, a CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor and author of the new book, “Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It,” for a refresher on how grand juries and indictments work. Part of our conversation, conducted by phone, is below:

Grand jury vs. trial jury

WOLF: What should we know about the difference between a grand jury and a trial jury?

HONIG: A grand jury decides to indict, meaning to charge a case. A trial jury determines guilt or non-guilt.

A grand jury is bigger, typically 23 members, and the prosecutor only needs the votes of a majority of a grand jury — as opposed to a trial jury, which has to be unanimous.

The standard of proof in a grand jury is lower than a trial jury. In a grand jury, you only have to show probable cause, meaning more likely than not. But of course in a trial setting, you need to show proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

The other thing to know is a grand jury is an almost entirely one-sided process.

Usually the only people allowed in the room at all are the grand jurors, the prosecutors, the witnesses and a court reporter.

In some instances, including New York, there’s a limited right of a potential defendant to present some evidence, but no defense lawyers are allowed in the room.

There’s no cross-examination of the prosecution’s evidence. There’s no presentation of defense evidence.

Close to every time a prosecutor seeks an indictment from a grand jury, he or she will get an indictment from the grand jury.

What is an indictment?

WOLF: How would you define “indictment”?

HONIG: It’s a document setting forth formal charges against the defendant.

3 Trump grand juries

WOLF: We have three grand juries that are top of mind — for election meddling in Georgia, at the federal level for declassified documents and then the Manhattan DA. How much variation is there in grand juries between city, county and federal?

HONIG: There are minor variations, but the basics remain the same.

Here’s an example of one of the minor variations in New York State, but not in the federal system, meaning for DOJ. The defendant does have some limited right to be notified and given a chance to testify or present defense evidence, which we saw play out with Trump and then him asking Robert Costello to testify.

That’s not the case federally. You do not have to give a defendant a chance to testify or present evidence. That’s one slight variation. But the basic fundamentals are the same.

Stormy Daniels exits the a federal court in New York City on April 16, 2018.

Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, is the adult film actress who was pushed into the spotlight after she was paid $130,000 by Donald Trump’s then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to keep silent, days before the 2016 presidential election, about her alleged affair with the former president.

Trump, who denies the affair, was investigated over his involvement in the hush-money scheme in New York. 

In March, Daniels met with prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office probing the payment, according to a tweet sent by her attorney, who said Daniels had “responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed.” 

In 2018, she wrote a book that detailed her meeting Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, and goes on to describe graphically her alleged sexual encounter with him. Daniels in 2021 said if she were asked to talk to investigators or a grand jury she would “tell them everything I know.”

The two parties have at times landed in court over Daniels’ non-disclosure agreement paid for by Cohen, but those lawsuits have been thrown out and the NDA deemed unenforceable. 

On Thursday, her attorney Clark Brewster said he was the one to share the news of Trump’s indictment with his client.

CNN’s Nicki Brown, Kara Scannell and Devan Cole contributed reporting to this post.

The New York hush money payment investigation is not the only probe former President Donald Trump is facing.

Here’s an updated list of additional notable investigations, lawsuits and controversies:

Mar-a-Lago documents: Did Trump mishandle classified material?

Special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing the Justice Department’s criminal investigations into the retention of national defense information at Trump’s resort and into parts of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

The Justice Department investigation continues into whether documents from the Trump White House were illegally mishandled when they were taken to Mar-a-Lago in Florida after he left office. A federal grand jury has interviewed potential witnesses regarding how Trump handled the documents.

The National Archives, charged with collecting and sorting presidential material, has previously said that at least 15 boxes of White House records were recovered from Mar-a-Lago, including some classified records.

Any unauthorized retention or destruction of White House documents could violate a criminal law that prohibits the removal or destruction of official government records, legal experts told CNN.

2020 election and Jan. 6: US Justice Department

Smith’s purview also includes the period after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden and leading up to the insurrection at the US Capitol.

As part of its investigation, the special counsel’s office has sought testimony from a number of key White House insiders, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Aspects of the Justice Department’s probe include the use of so-called fake electors from states that Trump falsely claimed he had won, such as Georgia and Arizona.

Trump has been fighting to keep former advisers from testifying about certain conversations, citing executive and attorney-client privileges to keep information confidential or slow down criminal investigators.

2020 election: Efforts to overturn Georgia results

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis oversaw a special grand jury investigating what Trump or his allies may have done in their efforts to overturn Biden’s victory in Georgia.

Willis, a Democrat, is considering bringing conspiracy and racketeering charges.

The probe was launched in 2021 following Trump’s call that January with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he pushed the Republican to “find” votes to overturn the election results.

The grand jury issued a report — which remains mostly under seal — that found there was no widespread voter fraud in the state and also suggested perjury charges be considered against some people who testified.

Overall, the grand jury recommended charges against more than a dozen people, the foreperson said in interviews last month.

Read about other investigations here.

Michael Cohen, ex-President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, is one of the key figures at the center of the Manhattan district attorney’s office probe into a $130,000 hush-money payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels for her silence over an alleged affair with his former boss. Trump has denied wrongdoing as well as the affair with Daniels.

Trump’s one-time fixer testified in March in front of the New York grand jury when it was weighing charges for the former president after speaking with prosecutors at least 20 times, he said.

Cohen facilitated the payments made days before the 2016 presidential election, and was reimbursed by the Trump Organization for advancing the money to Daniels. Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal charges, including campaign finance violations, and was sentenced to three years in prison.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress about the Russia investigation, saying in court at the time that he lied “out of loyalty” to Trump. 

Cohen joined the Trump Organization in 2007 where he worked as an executive vice president and as Trump’s legal counsel for over a decade.

CNN’s Nicki Brown, Veronica Stracqualursi and Rachel Ventresca contributed reporting to this post.

While a number of Donald Trump’s Capitol Hill allies have been quick to defend the former president and criticize the indictment, one moderate Republican told CNN he trusted the legal system.

 Bacon said it was important to let the process play out.

Bacon stressed that his statements were not about whether he supported a Trump indictment or not, but about protecting the legal system.

“It’s not that I support or not support it. I just think our system works and I’m not going to question it. I don’t like the attacks on the overall legal system,” he said.

Former President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, on March 13.

A yearslong probe into a hush money scheme involving former President Donald Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels has led to him being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his alleged role in the scheme.

The indictment is historic, marking the first time a former US president and major presidential candidate has ever been criminally charged.

Here’s what to know about the hush money investigation:

What happens next: A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement Thursday saying the office has contacted Trump’s attorney to “coordinate his surrender” for arraignment on “a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

“Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” it added. Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday for his arraignment, multiple sources tell CNN. Judge Juan Merchan is expected to preside, one source said. 

How we got here: The Manhattan DA’s investigation first began under Bragg’s predecessor, Cy Vance, when Trump was still in the White House. It relates to a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the 2016 presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair.

At issue in the investigation is the payment made to Daniels and the Trump Organization’s reimbursement to Cohen.

According to court filings in Cohen’s own federal prosecution, Trump Org. executives authorized payments to him totaling $420,000 to cover his original $130,000 payment and tax liabilities and reward him with a bonus.

The Manhattan DA’s investigation has hung over Trump since his presidency and is just one of several probes the former president is facing as he makes his third bid for the White House.

A rare case: The grand jury’s decision marks a rare moment in history: Trump is the first former US president ever indicted and also the first major presidential candidate under indictment seeking office. The former president has said he “wouldn’t even think about leaving” the 2024 race if charged.

The decision to bring charges is not without risk nor does it guarantee a conviction. Trump’s lawyers could challenge whether campaign finance laws would apply as a crime to make the case a felony, for instance.

Cohen’s role: Cohen, Trump’s onetime fixer, played a central role in the hush money episode and is involved in the investigation.

He admitted to paying $130,000 to Daniels to stop her from going public about the alleged affair with Trump just before the 2016 election. He also helped arrange a $150,000 payment from the publisher of the National Enquirer to Karen McDougal to kill her story claiming a 10-month affair with Trump. Trump also denies an affair with McDougal.

Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in jail, met with the Manhattan district attorney’s office earlier this month and praised Bragg for offering Trump the opportunity to testify.

What Daniels has said: For her part, Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, met in March with prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office probing the payment, according to a tweet sent by her attorney, who said Daniels had “responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed.” 

She wrote a tell-all book in 2018 that described the alleged affair in graphic detail, with her then-attorney saying that the book was intended to prove her story about having sex with Trump is true.

Read more about the investigation here.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to media following the sentencing hearing of the Trump Organization at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York City on January 13.

New York City prosecutors probing former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in a hush money scheme and cover-up were focused “on the evidence and the law,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said March 11.

Speaking on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” Bragg did not go into detail about what he called the “active investigation” but instead praised the “professionalism” of his prosecuting team.

The investigation relates to a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in late October 2016, days before the presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Donald Trump has called key allies on Capitol Hill to shore up support in the wake of his indictment, including members of House GOP leadership and lawmakers who serve on the committees that are trying to investigate the Manhattan District’s Attorney Office, according to a senior GOP source familiar with the conversations.

In the phone calls Thursday, which the source described as “check-ins,” the former president told allies he plans to fight the charges and continued to rail against the indictment and District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 23.

In an appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called the indictment of former President Donald Trump “legal voodoo,” and “bulls**t.”

Twice during the interview, Graham called on viewers to go to Trump’s campaign website and donate. Trump sent an email to donors Thursday after news of his indictment went public.

 “You need to help this man, Donald J. Trump. They’re trying to drain him dry. He spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns. They’re trying to bleed him dry. Donaldjtrump.com, go tonight,” Graham said.

Michael Cohen appears on Don Lemon on Thursday.

In response to the comparisons between the different investigations of Donald Trump — including the former president’s alleged involvement in the January 6 insurrection and the Georgia probe — former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said some are worse crimes, but it doesn’t make this most recent indictment any less of a crime.

Some background: Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal crimes including tax fraud, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations for helping pay off two women who threatened to go public with past alleged affairs with Trump just before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affairs.

Trump was indicted Thursday on more than 30 counts related to business fraud.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in the hush money payment scheme.

Earlier Thursday, when asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer whether Cohen’s payments to silence women who claimed affairs with Donald Trump were a crime, former Vice President Mike Pence said the self-described fixer went to jail for “lying to Congress.”

Michael Cohen said he was surprised the indictment against former President Donald Trump came today, but “this is a long time coming.”

In response to a Trump campaign email saying Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is depending on the testimony of a “convicted felon and disbarred lawyer,” the one-time Trump fixer said: “There’s plenty of corroborating testimony to go around.”

“So clearly, that means that the information provided was more than enough for the grand jury to come back with the determination for an indictment,” Cohen told CNN on Thursday night.

Trang Le of Orlando, right, and Maria Korynsel of North Palm Beach show their support for former President Donald Trump after the news broke that the former president was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday.

Police are outside the front gate of Mar-a-Lago a few hours after former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury.

Meanwhile, on the nearby bridge, a few dozen people are showing support for the former president, waving Trump and MAGA flags. The crowd is also playing the song “God Bless the USA.”

CNN saw a much larger presence of supporters in August after the search warrant was executed. 

A security guard walks at the entrance to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Kathy Clark of Lantana, Florida, wears an American flag hat with Trump pins as she shows her support for former President Donald Trump.

Amnon Shaleb of Boca Raton stands near his Jeep, decorated in the pattern of the American Flag, as he turns out to show support for former President Donald Trump.

When asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer whether Michael Cohen’s payments to silence women who claimed affairs with Donald Trump were a crime, former Vice President Mike Pence said the self-described fixer went to jail for “lying to Congress.”

Some background: Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal crimes including tax fraud, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations for helping pay off two women who threatened to go public with past alleged affairs with Trump just before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affairs.

Trump was indicted Thursday on more than 30 counts related to business fraud.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in the hush money payment scheme.

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Former Vice President Mike Pence said that while “no one is above the law, including former presidents,” that he cannot “speak to the merit of this case at all.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence said the New York grand jury’s decision to indict Donald Trump has “no bearing on our decision” to launch his own presidential campaign in 2024.

He said for his family it comes down “to our sense of calling” and that he intends to continue to travel around the country and listen to Americans.

Pence said while considering the decision to launch a presidential run, he is reflecting on his political experience as governor of Indiana, serving in Congress and as the vice president.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Washington, DC.

Former Vice President Mike Pence called the grand jury indictment of Donald Trump an “outrage.”

He said the indictment appears “for millions of Americans to be nothing more than a political prosecution.”

Pence said charging the former president is a “disservice to the country” that will only divide people further.

“I think the American people will look at this and see it as one more example of the criminalization of politics in this country,” he said.

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03:41 - Source: CNN

CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks to Stormy Daniels' lawyerClark Brewster.

Clark Brewster, the attorney of adult film star Stormy Daniels, said he was the one to share the news of Thursday’s indictment with his client.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released the following statement after the announcement of Donald Trump’s indictment:

Before the Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, a witness gave about 30 minutes of testimony, a source familiar with the case tells CNN.

The witness’s identity isn’t publicly known. Grand jury proceedings are secret.

Former President Donald Trump arrives to board his airplane for a trip to a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, at West Palm Beach International Airport, March 25.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday for his arraignment, multiple sources tell CNN.

Judge Juan Merchan is expected to preside, one source said. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a law enforcement round table hosted by Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Rebecca Kleefisch at the Ingleside Hotel on August 3, 2022, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

Former Vice President Mike Pence will join CNN’s Wolf Blitzer for a one-on-one CNN Primetime conversation at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

The interview comes just hours after the historic indictment of former President Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand jury, marking the first time in American history that a current or former president will face criminal charges.

The CNN conversation also comes just days after a judge ruled Pence must testify about conversations he had with Trump leading up to January 6.

Former President Donald Trump and his team will be rolling out surrogates beginning Friday to hit Democrats, the investigation and District Attorney Alvin Bragg across various forms of media as they work to shape the public narrative, according to sources close to Trump. 

His team will also keep track of members of Congress and 2024 potential Republican hopefuls who defend Trump. They plan to blast out those responses and likely go after those who do not rally around the former president. 

Trump’s team, while caught off guard by the timing of the indictment, has been working on a media plan to respond to the potential charges for the last two weeks.

Several advisers said that they were learning many of the details of the indictment and potential arraignment from media reports. There have been preliminary conversations on what getting Trump in and out of New York will look like.

House GOP leaders have rushed to former President Donald Trump’s defense, which shows the GOP’s division over Trump, as top Senate Republicans Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Whip John Thune have remained silent. 

Republican Sen. Rick Scott is calling on Senate leadership to support House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s efforts to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

“I fully support speaker McCarthy’s efforts to investigate this. We are now living in a nation where people can’t trust the legal process, FBI, DOJ, or IRS … and I will do all I can in the Senate to support @SpeakerMcCarthy’s efforts. I call on Senate leadership to do the same,” Scott tweeted Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit organized by America First Policy Institute AFPI on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. 

Former President Donald Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in an indictment from a Manhattan grand jury, according to two sources familiar with the case.

Earlier Thursday, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the office has contacted Trump’s attorney to “coordinate his surrender” for arraignment on “a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

“Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” it added.

Trump will likely appear in court early next week, his defense attorney said.

CNN’s Kara Scannell contributed reporting to this post.

Donald Trump’s attorney Chris Kise called Trump’s indictment “the lowest point in history for our criminal justice system.”

The Trump indictment in New York is not expected to impact the timing of potential indictments in the criminal probe into Donald Trump and his allies in Georgia, according to a person familiar with the matter. If charges are brought in that case, indictments could come as soon as this spring. 

The source said staff in the Fulton County district attorney’s office will be closely watching how the security situation plays out in New York, particularly surrounding Trump’s arraignment.

The Fulton County district attorney’s office declined to comment on the New York indictment. 

The Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating whether Trump and his allies violated the law in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia recently concluded its work and recommended multiple indictments, according to the foreperson who has spoken out publicly. Now it’s up to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to make charging decisions.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement Thursday saying the office has contacted former President Donald Trump’s attorney to “coordinate his surrender” for arraignment on “a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

“Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” it added.

Two of Donald Trump’s sons tweeted their responses to his indictment Thursday.

Eric Trump tweeted the indictment “is third world prosecutorial misconduct.”

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted “corrupt elites” don’t care about violent crimes, “but they are threatened by Trump.”

Donald Trump Jr. also reacted on his “Triggered” podcast, saying he learned the news of the indictment about 15 minutes before his show.

“This is stuff that would make Mao, Stalin Pol Pot, it would make them blush. It’s so flagrant. It’s so crazed,” he said.

A Manhattan grand jury’s indictment of former President Donald Trump will set in motion a criminal process that will, in some ways, work like that of any other defendant, and in others, look very different. 

When someone is indicted, the charges are sometimes kept under seal until the defendant’s first appearance in court. The charges that the grand jury approved against Trump are currently not public.  

First appearances are usually public proceedings. If an arrest of a defendant is not needed, arrangements are made with them or their lawyers for a voluntary surrender to law enforcement. With their first appearance in court, defendants are usually booked and finger-printed. 

Trump’s attorneys were informed of the grand jury’s vote shortly after the indictment was publicly reported, sources told CNN. A Trump lawyer told CNN that Trump will likely be arraigned in court next week. 

What happens in a first appearance can vary. But if a first appearance is also an arraignment, a plea is expected to be entered. It is typical at a first appearance that release conditions are discussed – such as travel restrictions or home confinement – and defendants are informed of their rights. The lawyers for the government and the defendant also often enter their appearance at this stage of the court proceedings. 

Trump will likely be allowed to turn himself in voluntarily, but it’s still unclear if his arraignment will happen in-person or remotely. 

Trump will have to go through certain processes that any other defendant must go through when a charge has been brought against him. But Trump’s status as a former president who is currently running for the White House again will undoubtably inject additional security and practical concerns around the next steps in his case. 

Whatever travel Trump must take for his arraignment will need to be coordinated with Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies.

Those conversations between the Secret Service, the US Marshal’s Service and the New York Police Department have begun, a senior NYPD source told CNN. 

NYPD officers were told Thursday evening via internal memo that they should be in uniform and ready for deployment on Friday.

CNN’s Kara Scannell, Paula Reid, Lauren DelValle, Shimon Prokupecz, Brynn Gingras and Evan Perez contributed to this reporting.

Clark Brewster, Stormy Daniels’ attorney, tweeted his reaction to Trump’s indictment Thursday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted his response to Trump’s indictment Thursday, writing that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “is stretching the law to target a political opponent.”

“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head,” De Santis said, adding that “it is un-American.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying that he “weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.”

“Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” he said in the tweet.

The speaker pledged that the House of Representatives will hold Bragg and “his unprecedented abuse of power to account,” the tweet added.

Read McCarthy’s tweet:

Former President Donald Trump is fundraising off Thursday’s indictment, writing in part in an email: “The Deep State will use anything at their disposal to shut down the one political movement that puts YOU first.”

The email to donors is topped with a headline from The New York Times on Trump’s indictment. Much of the email borrows some of the same language from the statement of Trump’s official response to the indictment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at the District Attorney's office in New York, Thursday, March 30.

Former President Trump’s legal team had speculated in recent days that the Manhattan district attorney’s case may have been falling apart, arguing amongst themselves there was no proof of intent to defraud and questioning why the indictment had not happened yet, sources familiar with the discussions tell CNN.

Multiple Trump advisers told CNN the former president and his team were blindsided by the timing of the indictment Thursday.

Trump’s team had planned for an indictment for the last two weeks, but following recent reports that the grand jury would not be meeting on the case, believed it would likely not come for several weeks. Some sources close to Trump also said they thought Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg might be reconsidering a potential indictment.

Their thinking that the case may have fallen apart played a role in why some in Trump’s orbit were caught off guard as the former was in his Mar-a-Lago estate preparing political attacks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

They have not seen the charges yet, nor has anyone else. How the case evolves remains to be seen and the charges are still sealed.

“Two things can be true at the same time. No one wants to be indicted. He doesn’t want to be indicted,” a former Trump administration official told CNN, adding that he thinks the indictment will benefit the former president politically. Prior to today’s indictment, other Trump allies said they weren’t sure how much this would actually help Trump in the long run politically.

CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig.

When Donald Trump is likely arraigned next week in New York, the former president will go through a series of specific steps, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said.

The area around the courthouse is a “law enforcement heavy area” so Trump could be brought in through an underground or garage entrance, something that is common in that area, according to Honig. The former president will unlikely be perp-walked, which is being walked out on the street by law enforcement, he said.

When inside, Trump’s fingerprints will be taken, along with a mug shot, he said. In New York, mug shots are not automatically made public, Honig noted.

Ordinarily, before a person comes into court, they are briefly handcuffed, Honig said – but it is unclear if that will be the case with Trump because the Secret Service is involved.

Then, the judge will advise Trump of the charges against him. The grand jury indictment was filed under seal Thursday and the charges have not been announced publically.

After that, the judge will ensure Trump has a lawyer, he said. It is possible the judge will also set further court dates, according to Honig.

Defense attorney Joe Tacopina said Donald Trump will likely be arraigned early next week.

Officers from the New York City Police Department Canine Unit search around the District Attorney's Office in New York City on March 29.

In light of Donald Trump being indicted by a New York grand jury, US Marshals, Secret Service and New York Police Department are talking about how the former president will appear for his arraignment, according to a senior NYPD source.

Out of an abundance of caution, all personnel at NYPD headquarters and support units will be in uniform on Friday, according to an internal memo from the department.

The memo also states that all uniformed officers should be prepared for mobilization at any time during their shifts.

Posture will be revisited in the coming days based on information as it develops, the source says.

Former President Donald Trump responded Thursday after a grand jury voted to indict him with a statement, calling it “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”

Trump also posted on Truth Social saying in all caps that the indictment “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.”

GOP lawmakers who have been loyal defenders of Donald Trump are rallying behind the former president after his indictment Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury. 

The charges have not been made public, yet many immediately came to his defense, alleging Trump’s innocence.  

Rep. Jim Jordan, the House Judiciary chairman, tweeted one word: “Outrageous.”

Sen. Ted Cruz said in a tweet, “The Democrat Party’s hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The ‘substance’ of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system.”

Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, called the indictment “outrageous.”

“The sham New York indictment of President Donald Trump is one of the clearest examples of extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents,” Scalise tweeted Thursday. 

Even before an indictment was announced, Republicans attacked the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and accused him of being politically motivated to go after Trump.  

While a number of Trump’s Capitol Hill allies have been quick to defend the former president, one moderate Republican told CNN he trusted the legal system.

Bacon said it was important to let the process play out. Bacon stressed that his statements were not about whether he supported a Trump indictment or not, but about protecting the legal system.

Some Democrats praised the justice system, saying that the Trump indictment shows “no one is above the law” and others are calling it a “sad day” for the country.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California called the moment “unique throughout all of American history.”

Alina Habba, an attorney for Donald Trump, released a statement Thursday after a grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump.

Attorneys Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina – who are representing him in the Manhattan grand jury probe – also released a joint statement:

Taylor Budowich, the CEO of Make America Great Again Inc., tweeted a statement Thursday after a grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump saying “this is not an indictment of a crime — there was no crime — instead, this news is the indictment of a failed nation.”

Former President Donald Trump was caught off guard by the grand jury’s decision to indict him, according to a person who spoke directly with him. He is preparing a response tonight and is poised to react with either a video message or a statement.

While the former president was bracing for an indictment last week, he began to believe news reports that a potential indictment was weeks or more away. 

“Is this a shock today? Hell yes,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity as Trump’s team calculated its response.

Michael Cohen, center speaks to reporters on March 15, in New York.

Michael Cohen, a former attorney for Donald Trump, released a statement after a grand jury voted to indict the former president Thursday:

His attorney Lanny Davis said in a statement: “On July 2, 2018, Michael Cohen made the brave decision to speak truth to power and accept the consequences. And he has done so ever since. I am proud to have been his lawyer and his friend through this long journey on the path to justice and accountability.”

Some context: As CNN has reported, Cohen was a key player in the hush money scheme involving Stormy Daniels. He facilitated the payments, made days before the 2016 presidential election, and was reimbursed by the Trump Organization for advancing the money to Daniels.

Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal charges, including campaign finance violations, and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys have been informed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office that the grand jury voted to indict him, sources tell CNN.

CNN observed prosecutors heading to the grand jury room late Thursday, and sources say the vote happened at the end of the day.

CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger

The decision to indict former president Donald Trump is “a moment in history,” noted CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger.

It’s the first time in American history a current or former president faces criminal charges.

The public will “have different interpretations” she said while adding Trump “is going to claim he’s the victim.”

“This nonetheless, an indictment, is something that Donald Trump has evaded for years and years,” she said. “And I think it is something that Donald Trump clearly intends to use to his benefit, at least with his base.”

The indictment of Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand jury has been filed under seal and will be announced in the coming days.

The charges are not publicly known at this time, one source tells CNN.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office will reach out to Trump’s attorneys to discuss his surrender to face an arraignment.

CNN has reached out to Trump’s attorneys for comment.

A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict Donald Trump, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

It is the first time in American history that a current or former president will face criminal charges.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential election.

The decision is sure to send shockwaves across the country, pushing the US political system – which has never seen one of its ex-leaders confronted with criminal charges, let alone while running again for president – into uncharted waters.