Former president Trump will be arraigned in a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. following his indictment by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a court spokesperson said Friday.
On his social-media platform Truth Social, Trump blasted New York judge Juan Merchan, acting justice for the New York County Supreme Court, who is likely to preside over the arraignment.
“The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME,” Trump said.
“His name is Juan Manuel Marchan, was hand picked by Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who ‘railroaded’ my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a ‘plea’ deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years (life!) in jail. He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn’t ‘plead,’ VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!,” he added.
A Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump in connection with a hush-money payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Following the news, Trump said that Bragg’s “witch-hunt” prosecution against him is “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”
Trump updated his followers last week that he believed he would soon be arrested. His lawyers told the New York Post he is expected to surrender to law enforcement in New York next week.
“This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal,” a spokesperson for the DA’s office said. “Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected.”
Trump warned that Bragg’s prosecution will come back to haunt President Biden and the Democrats.
“Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done,” said Trump, who is now the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. “The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.”