Trump departs Florida home to make court appearance in NYC

Former President Trump traveled from his Florida home Monday afternoon to New York City for his Tuesday court date.

Trump’s motorcade departed his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach shortly after 12:15 p.m. EDT en route to a local airport. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all aired live coverage of the SUVs making their way through the streets of Palm Beach and onto the highway. 

Some supporters gathered along the street near his Mar-a-Lago estate as the vehicles rolled by, and dozens more were waiting for Trump by the airport, waving flags and cheering as the motorcade arrived. 

The former president traveled with a handful of campaign aides to New York City, including top advisers like Susie Wiles, Chris LaCavita and Jason Miller. 

The former president’s personal plane, with “TRUMP” emblazoned on the side, was shown waiting for him at the airport. The motorcade arrived at 12:35 p.m., and Trump boarded the plane moments later. 

Some supporters gathered along the street near his Mar-a-Lago estate as the vehicles rolled by, and dozens more were waiting for Trump by the airport, waving flags and cheering as the motorcade arrived. 

Trump’s plane landed at about 3:30 p.m. at Laguardia Airport, and the former president stepped off the plane roughly 15 minutes later.

A collection of media, supporters and protesters had gathered near Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan.

Trump is set to spend Monday night at Trump Tower in Manhattan. He will head to the courthouse Tuesday morning, and his arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. 

A grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump on criminal charges for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign. 

The indictment, which remains under seal, follows an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) that centered on a $130,000 payment fixer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the election. 

Trump is expected to return to his Mar-a-Lago home after Tuesday’s hearing, and he has said he will deliver remarks to supporters on Tuesday night. 

The former president and his allies have repeatedly decried his indictment as politically motivated, noting he is leading most GOP primary polls ahead of the 2024 race. But the specific charges against him will not be known until Tuesday’s arraignment. 

This story was updated at 3:52 p.m.