NEW DELHI: Ahead of a historic court appearance by any former president of the United States in a criminal charge, Donald Trump was placed under arrest at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Trump will most probably have to go through the arrest formalities like he would probably be fingerprinted or may be photographed.

According to reports Trump who has a battery of defence team appearing along with him as he was arrested has pled not guilty to 34 charges that have been bought against him at the Manhattan Criminal Court and experts say that he could be released after his arraignment. Sources are quoted saying that his team includes a prominent criminal defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche along with Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina.

Trump legal team members, Necheles and Tacopina have represented Trump in the probe ordered by the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s office which eventually led to his indictment. 

In March 2023, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump, for his alleged role in a scandal stemming from hush money payments made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 United States presidential election and including falsified business records regarding the payments.

Trump who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 has achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the first president in the history of his country to be indited of facing criminal charges which remain under seal with the court and will be disclosed when Trump is arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Court.

Presiding Judge Juan Merchan who will be overseeing Trump's arraignment today is known to be a no-nonsense man and this would not be the first time that Trump would have crossed his path, as Merchan has previously overseen a case related to criminal tax fraud trial against the Trump Organization.

Amid concern about the security of the former president, Trump, who resides at his palatial Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, travelled to New York City from the Palm Beach International Airport on Monday, April 3 in his private plane and a motorcade of several vehicles took him directly to the Trump Tower in Manhattan from the LaGuardia Airport.

Before leaving Florida Trump posted on social media saying, "WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL!"