Trump’s unprecedented journey will begin when he departs his Trump Tower penthouse in Midtown Manhattan at around 10.30am – closely guarded by his Secret Service detail – for an 11am arrival at District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office downtown.
Once inside and away from the glare of the world’s media, the 76-year-old is expected to have his fingerprints taken but will likely avoid the humiliation of having to pose for a mugshot, according to reports last night.
Trump will be ushered into the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, which is inside the same building as Bragg’s office, for the landmark arraignment hearing.
All the while, law enforcement officials will be praying that the inevitable swell of protesters outside – a mixture of MAGA fans and anti-Trump activists – remain peaceful. A huge security operation will be underway, with thousands of NYPD cops on standby in case violence breaks out.
After the court appearance, which might only last about 15 minutes, Trump will fly on his private jet back to Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
There, he’s expected to deliver a tub-thumping address railing against the criminal case that he’s branded a politically-motivated witch hunt.
This is how the historic day is likely to unfold.
A key question about this part of the booking process is whether Trump will be escorted by his Secret Service detail. Defendants are typically processed without their attorneys present, but it’s not clear what rules apply to Secret Service agents.
Trump will then be escorted to the main courthouse, where his appearance is slated to take place at 2.15pm on the 15th floor, before Judge Juan Merchan.
Security in court will also be extremely tight. All other court business will be on hold during Trump’s arraignment and anybody who enters the building will be searched twice. The entire building will also be inspected before his arrival.
The hearing itself is likely to be brief – probably between 15 and 30 minutes. The charges will be put to Trump and he’ll plead not guilty to all counts. All video cameras are banned from entering the courtroom, meaning the hearing will not be recorded.
After his appearance, Trump will be escorted out of court, past the crowds of supporters and activists, and driven to his waiting jet at LaGuardia Airport.
Trump will fly back to Florida and head straight for Mar-a-Lago, where he plans to deliver a speech about the hearing. It’s not clear exactly what the former president will say.