Former President Donald Trump has used social media to confirm he will fly into New York on Monday to prepare for his upcoming court appearance, declaring “America was not supposed to be this way!” before departure.
Trump took to his own Truth Social network to confirm he will leave his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida at noon ET on Monday bound for Manhattan.
“On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!”
Trump’s legal team has already confirmed he would not fight extradition from Florida but would instead willingly appear before New York authorities.
As Trump and his team prepare for Tuesday’s events he has made clear he expects the Manhattan judge will put a gag order on him as the case awaits trial.
A source close to the legal team told the Daily Mail the judge will take an “unprecedented step” to silence the 2024 presidential candidate. The gag order could potentially undercut his ability to campaign on the issue of legal corruption during the primary.
NYPD surveillance cameras in place outside Trump Tower on April 1, 2023 in New York City. (Kena Betancur/Getty Images)
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, in response to the news about a possible gag order, told Breitbart News the former president stands for the freedom of speech and Americans should be highly concerned about any efforts like this to stifle free speech.
New York is already bracing for his arrival with a heavy police presence and barricades erected around Manhattan Criminal Court where he will appear before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15pm on Tuesday afternoon.
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FII InstituteAt his arraignment, the former president is expected to plead not guilty to all charges, according to his attorney Joe Tacopina.
Trump has indicated it will likely only be a fleeting court appearance as he expects to be back at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to deliver a prime-time address just hours later at 8.15pm ET, as Breitbart News reported. The event is open to media.
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