When Donald Trump steps before a judge next week to stand trial in a New York courtroom, it will not only mark the first time a former US president has faced criminal charges. It would also represent a reckoning for a man long nicknamed “Teflon Don,” who until now has managed to escape serious legal harm despite 40 years of legal scrutiny.
Trump, who was the early frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, is expected to turn himself in Tuesday. He faces charges including at least one criminal offense related to paying hush money to women during his 2016 campaign. Like others facing trial, he will be booked, fingerprinted and photographed before being given a chance to present a defense.
The spectacle that is sure to unfold will mark an unprecedented moment in American history that will show once again how dramatically Trump – who has become the first president to be impeached twice – has overturned democratic norms. But on a personal level, the indictment cuts through the cloak of invincibility that has apparently followed Trump through decades in business and politics, as he faces accusations of fraud, collusion and sexual misconduct.
“Well, after all this time it's a bit shocking,” Trump biographer Michael D'Antonio said of the indictment. “You know, I always thought of him as the Gingerbread Man, screaming, ‘You can't catch me!' when he ran away.”
“Given his track record,” he said, “I have a hard time imagining he would be held accountable.”
“These are not things Donald Trump has ever thought in his life, or I, for that matter, that he will ever face,” Michael Cohen, a longtime Trump fixer and key witness in the case who is serving prison time for the case. payment, to CNN.
Of course, some celebration by Trump detractors may be premature. The former president can ask a judge to drop the case immediately. And even if it did move forward, there was no guarantee of confidence. The intensive investigations in Atlanta and Washington are seen as potentially more serious legal threats.
Still, Trump and his team were shocked when word of the New York indictment broke late Thursday, following news reports that the grand jury trying the case was set for a week-long hiatus. As deliberations dragged on, some in Trump's orbit became convinced that the case had stalled and that charges might never be brought. That includes Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, who said early Friday he hoped “the rule of law will prevail.”
Trump, he said on his “Today” show, was “initially shocked” by the news of the accusations, but quickly turned to his usual denial playbook.
“Once he got over that,” he said, Trump “tied his belt and he decided we have to fight now. And he got into that typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to go to war on something he believes is an injustice… I think he are now in a position to fight this.”
Meanwhile, Trump and his team have tried to use the news to his advantage, hoping to bolster his loyal base by portraying the investigation as part of a larger plot to derail his candidacy.
The allegations have been a boon for struggling fundraising. The campaign announced late Friday that it had raised more than $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictments were published, far surpassing the previous record following the FBI's search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.
More than 25% of donations, according to the campaign, are from first-time donors. Average contribution: $34.
His campaign has also continued to issue statements of support from dozens of top Republicans who have backed Trump, including several of his announced and likely challengers, underscoring his continued position in the party. Trump has been in contact by phone with key congressional allies, including members of the House leadership and top committees, according to people familiar with the conversations, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the response.
Trump ally Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., which officially endorsed the former president Friday, said Trump was “not backing down” and would “fight back,” telling a local radio show that it was “another chapter in which Donald Trump will return to the top.” eventually.”
The media vortex has catapulted the former president back into the spotlight he craved, at least temporarily limiting the attention paid to his rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to challenge Trump for the nomination, and has held events around the world. district to promote his book.
Trump aides have discussed other ideas for maximizing the situation, including the possibility of holding a press event before or after the impeachment. Trump is expected to travel from Florida to New York on Monday and spend the night at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan before heading to the courthouse Tuesday morning. He will return to Florida after the indictment.
Trump has long denied he had a sexual relationship with the porn actor known as Stormy Daniels and has blasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for pursuing a case that dates back years.
Trump also faces further investigations in Georgia, over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and in Washington, where special counsel is investigating the events of January 6, 2021, as well as Trump's handling of classified documents on March 20. -a-Lago and potential roadblocks to investigation.
But Sam Nunberg, a longtime former aide who cut ties with Trump years ago, said that while he no longer supports Trump, he believes the Manhattan case was a waste of time, given the allegations that are still under wraps. And he said he was skeptical it would eventually become a problem.
“It doesn't surprise me,” he said of the charges. “What would surprise me is if he did end up behind bars and I didn't see that happen.”
D'Antonio said that sentiment – and the ongoing belief that Trump will somehow win and avoid accusations – continues among the many people who have contacted him in the past 24 hours, despite the accusations.
“They were like, he's going to get away with it,” she said. “Somehow, he will throw it away.”