Donald Trump arrived in New York on Monday where a criminal court is to serve him on Tuesday with his indictment in a case of fraud linked to the payment of money to a porn star, a historic court appearance for a former president of the United States. It is an event all the more extraordinary as the 76-year-old Republican billionaire re-entered the race for the Republican nomination to regain the presidency in November 2024. His private Boeing 757, stamped with his name, was landed around 7:25 p.m. at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
Conversely, a supporter, Vito Dichiara, retired from Long Island, explains to AFP that he is "here to support Donald Trump, the former and future president of the United States". "The Democratic Party is just meddling in the election, Donald Trump won in 2020 but the Democrats stole the election," thinks the 71-year-old, who introduces himself as a former Fox News cameraman.
In fact, Donald Trump never admitted defeat in the last presidential election in November 2020 and has since accused Joe Biden of having "cheated" and "stealing" the victory. He dreams of winning back the White House in November 2024. For the moment, he is preparing for the legal "battle" of New York, according to one of his lawyers.
In an unprecedented move, the former populist head of state, who upended the political system, society and the balance of power in the United States, was criminally charged on March 30 by Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg. After five years of investigation by the justice of the State of New York.
With the lower Manhattan courthouse area under tight security, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, warned would-be "troublemakers" to " to master ".
