Surrender, arrest in New York, rally in Florida: A day full of Donald Trump's drama

Talk about a day of drama. Tuesday was dramatic to say the least for Donald Trump. After being charged in connection to hush money payments, the former US president blasted his successor Joe Biden, declaring that the “nation is going to hell.” The 76-year-old’s fiery words came from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence, after he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in Manhattan. AP

“I never thought anything like this could happen in America. The only crime that I’ve committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it. While we are living through the darkest hours of American history, Our country is going to hell. The world is already laughing at us – for our open borders and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan,” Trump said. AP

Trump, the frontrunner in the campaign for the Republican nominee in 2024, declared that “radical left” prosecutors were out to get him “at any cost” from a stage draped in American flags within a sumptuous gold-and-cream ballroom. AP

During his speech, Trump also listed several of his grievances against the current administration. AP

And it wasn’t only Trump speaking to the media. Earlier, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also addressed the media after the arraignment. He said Trump allegedly participated in a two-year plot to advance his 2016 presidential campaign, suppressing damaging facts and fabricating financial records of his corporation to hide his tracks. AP

Trump became the first-ever former president of the nation to be formally detained by the police after surrendering at the Manhattan Criminal Court. AP

In preparation for his arraignment on Tuesday, Trump was held by police at the Manhattan district attorney’s office. He was later charged with a crime and entered a plea. AP

<span class="css-guq32d"><span id="editable-content-within-article~0~0~1" class="css-acv5hh">Donald Trump entered a not-guilty plea to 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents. The accusations are related to a hush-money payment made during the 2016 presidential election. </span></span>AP

Trump was pictured in courtroom images seated at the table set aside for defendants and their attorneys. Two attorneys were sitting on either side of the former president as he was encircled by them. AP

The 34 criminal counts that the former president is facing regarding hush money payments have been described as “sad” by Trump’s attorney, who has vowed to fight them. Following Trump’s arraignment, attorney Todd Blanche remarked, “The charge itself is boilerplate,” adding that the indictment was “sad and we’re going to fight it, we’re going to fight it hard.” AP

At a historic arraignment, a New York judge released Donald Trump from detention without any pretrial restrictions. The trial might perhaps begin in January 2024, Judge Juan Merchan added during the hour-long hearing, though Trump’s attorneys said they would prefer to delay it until the spring. AP

Trump supporters, many in red hats, decried the district attorney’s actions, while counter-protestors cheered the indictment. They were nearly outnumbered by police officers and journalists. AP

The court appearance lasted about an hour and the small crowd dwindled after word spread that Trump had left the building. AP