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Fundraising is a difficult journey for Black female founders. In fact, only 93 had raised $1 million or more in venture capital before 2021. Diarrha N'Diaye, founder of Ami Cole.Katherine Pekala Before 2021, only 93 Black female founders had raised $1 million or more in venture capital. Companies led by Black women typically receive less than 1% of all venture capital funding. Insider is listing Black female founders who've raised at least $1 million in VC since 2021. See more stories on Insider's business page. Black female founders in the US face many challenges, but one of the most detrimental is the lack of funding granted to them.Before 2021, only 93 Black female founders had raised $1 million or more in venture capital, and prior to 2018 just 34 had done so, according to the most recent findings by ProjectDiane, a biennial report on the state of Black and Latinx women founders by the organization DigitalUndivided. What's more, companies led by Black women typically receive less than 1% of all venture capital funding, according to data from Crunchbase. The fundraising environment has been a rollercoaster for Black founders since 2020. While there was an uptick in VC funding for Black-led startups in 2021 following the murder of George Floyd and the national racial reckoning that followed, that didn't last. Financing for Black business owners dropped 45% in 2022 due to changing market conditions, according to Crunchbase data. Insider has been tracking the number of Black female founders in the US who have raised $1 million or more in venture capital since 2021. What's more, we asked how they approach the uphill battle and what advice they have for others looking to scale up through fundraising. Kerry Schrader, a cofounder of the peer-to-peer engagement company Mixtroz, said many funders benefit from the optics of helping Black female founders without actually allocating capital to them."We have to remove the entire ceiling so that we all can have the same access without risking bleed-out as we pass through the shards of glass," said Schrader, who raised a $1 million seed round in May 2021. "The only way to fix the problem is to measure progress and be transparent with the results."Below is a list of the Black female founders who have raised $1 million or more in VC since 2021, listed in order of their most recent funding amount. Insider intends to track and update this list throughout the year.If you're a Black female founder who's raised $1 million or more in VC funding this year, please contact Alexandra York at ayork@insider.com. This article was originally published in September 2021 and most recently updated on April 21, 2023. An earlier version of this story misstated the time period in which 93 Black female founders had raised VC funds of $1 million or more. That number described the amount of the years leading up to 2021, not in 2021 itself.1. Toyin Ajayi — $400 millionBefore becoming Cityblock's chief health officer, Dr. Toyin Ajayi led clinical programming at the Commonwealth Care Alliance.Cityblock HealthCofounded by Toyin Ajayi and Iyah Romm in 2017, Cityblock Health focuses on providing healthcare for marginalized communities.In September 2021, it announced the closing of a $400 million Series D led by SoftBank, which boosted the company's valuation to $5.7 billion. In total, the company has raised almost $900 million in funding.2. Robyn Rihanna Fenty — $125 millionBefore Savage x Fenty, Rihanna was a chart-topping singer best known for her hit singles "Umbrella" "Love on the Brain," and "Work" featuring Drake.Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesThe lingerie line, founded by Rihanna in 2018, announced a $125 million Series C round in January 2022, led by investment management firm Neuberger Berman.In February 2021, the company raised a $115 million Series B. If Rihanna takes the company public, it could receive a $3 billion valuation. In total, the company has raised $310 million in funding, according to Forbes.3. Sevetri Wilson — $35 millionSevetri Wilson is a serial entrepreneur with a background in communications.Sevetri WilsonResilia, a technology platform that provides services to grow nonprofit organizations and helps large foundations deploy capital, raised a $35 million Series B round in October 2022. To date, the company has raised $46 million.Resilia was founded by Sevetri Wilson, a serial entrepreneur with a communications background. She said one of her main pain points in raising her seed round was being a Black woman from the South without a network of big tech investors.Additionally, she said, she noticed investors looking over her fundraising materials with a fine-tooth comb in processes that could take months whereas her white male colleagues completed the due-diligence process in about four weeks."I do feel like Black women particularly are also overdiligenced," Wilson said. "I don't think any founders should have to go through diligence for months, at any time period."4. Iman Abuzeid — $80 millionIman Abuzeid, CEO and cofounder of Incredible HealthIncredible HealthCofounded by Iman Abuzeid and Rome Portlock in 2017, Incredible Health is a healthcare-career marketplace that's taking on the nursing shortage in the US by connecting healthcare networks with the nurses they need to fill open, permanent positions. In August 2022, Incredible Health raised an $80 million Series B funding round, which valued the startup at $1.65 billion. That made cofounder and CEO Abuzeid one of nine Black and Latina female founders whose startups have reached a billion-dollar valuation. 5. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins — $20 millionPhaedra Ellis-LamkinsCourtesy of Phaedra Ellis-LamkinsPhaedra Ellis-Lamkins launched Promise in 2017. The payment technology company helps people pay off their utilities, transportation, and criminal justice debts sooner and with fewer penalties by offering options like payment plans. Promise's mission is to support underserved residents with the tools and resources they need to manage their payments.In March 2021, the company closed a Series A round for $20 million, led by Kapor Capital and XYZ Venture Capital. To date, the Oakland, California-based brand has raised $30 million.6. Elise Smith — $15.5 millionPraxis Labs has partnered with eBay, Zoom, Amazon, Google and Target to build more socially equitable workplaces.Makeda SandfordDiversity, equity, and inclusion-focused learning and development company Praxis Labs raised a $15.5 million Series A round in October 2021, led by Norwest Venture Partners and Emerson Collective with participation from Steph Curry's Penny Jar Capital, SoftBank's SB Opportunity Fund, and others."The goal is to find investors who believe in you," said Elise Smith, CEO and founder of Praxis Labs. "It's about getting that person who's willing to take a risk on a Black female founder." Praxis Labs partners with companies to help their employees and leadership create products, services, policies, and practices that promote equity in the workforce. The platform offers webinars on topics such as bias and discrimination on the job.7. Tanya Van Court — $15 millionTanya Van Court is raising a multimillion-dollar Series A, which she hopes to close in October.(Courtesy of Tanya Van Court)Tanya Van Court launched Goalsetter in 2016 with the hope of teaching children how to invest and save money. In December 2021, closed a $15 million Series A led by Seae Ventures. To date, the company has raised $18.9 million in funding.Van Court appeared on "Shark Tank" in 2019; she received an offer from Kevin O'Leary but turned it down. She's faced challenges in the past, especially when pitching white investors, she said. At first they said Goalsetter was uninvestable, then they invested in a similar white-owned fintech company, Van Court said."By the time I raised my first $1 million, about 88% of that money came from Black people, brown people, and women," she told Insider. "White men were not investing in my business."When she raised this issue with the white investors, they said it was too late for them to invest in her since she had too many well-funded competitors, she said. "It was a constant struggle of Silicon Valley choosing winners out the gate, and those winners were never Black women."8. Denise Woodard — $11.5 millionBefore Partake Foods, Denise Woodard worked in the venturing and emerging brands unit of The Coca-Cola Company.Partake FoodsDenise Woodard founded Partake Foods in 2016 with the goal of making gluten-free and vegan cookies that exclude some of the top allergens, such as soy, sesame, and peanuts. In October 2022, it closed a $11.5 million Series B with investors including Cleveland Avenue State Treasurer Urban Success Fund, Fearless Fund, Kaya Ventures, and Supply Change Capital.9. Kim Folsom — $11 millionKim Folsom, founder of Founders First Capital Partnerscourtesy of FolsomFounders First Capital Partners was launched in 2015 by Kim Folsom. Folsom set out to create opportunities for diverse business owners to earn financial support through non-dilutive, revenue-based funding. In November 2021, the company closed a $11 million Series A round led by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Surdna Foundation, along with additional investments from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, the Schultz Family Foundation, and Arc Chicago, LLC.In total, the company has raised $11.6 million in venture capital.10. Olamide Olowe — $10 millionOlamide Olowe is the founder and CEO of Topicals.Olamide OloweMotivated to change both industry and beauty standards, Olamide Olowe founded her skincare brand, Topicals, in 2020, when she was 23 and had graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. Topicals creates skincare products for chronic conditions that can be difficult to treat and can contribute to lower self-esteem. In November 2022, Topicals announced a $10 million Series A round led by the venture-capital firm CAVU, which invests in consumer-product brands such as Beyond Meat and Oatly. This brings Topicals' total funding to $14.8 million.11. Joanna Smith — $8 millionBefore AllHere, Joanna Smith worked as a director at Excel Academy Charter Schools.Mamadi DoumbouyaAllHere is an educational company seeking to boost student attendance in K-12 schools.It was founded in 2017 by Joanna Smith, who earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021. In June 2021, the company announced an $8 million Series A led by Spero Ventures, bringing its total funding to more than $12 million, Forbes reported.12. Nyakio Grieco — $8 millionNyakio’s passion for beauty products began when her grandparents taught her how to create natural remedies at home.Robin BlackIn January, e-commerce beauty brand Thirteen Lune raised $8 million in seed funding, bringing its total funding to $12.5 million. Founded by Nyakio Grieco in 2020, Thirteen Lune has transitioned from a sole e-commerce brand to an in-person retailer through a recent partnership with JCPenney. Ninety percent of the brands carried by Thirteen Lune are created by BIPOC founders, who made products for people of all colors, and 10% are dedicated to fostering allyship from non-POC-owned brands.When Grieco raises venture capital, she expects investors to have a true, deep commitment to moving the needle for change and creating generational wealth."It's so thrilling to not even be a year old on this platform and be in such an exciting place of discovery,"  Grieco said.13. Shanea Leven — $7 millionBefore CodeSee, Shanea Leven worked in product management at the tech companies Cloudflare, Docker, and Lob.Shanea LevenIn January 2022, the coding platform CodeSee raised $7 million, bringing its total to $10 million. The company, founded in 2019 by former Google employee Shanea Leven and her husband, Josh Leven, aims to help companies visualize and understand their code.Leven said she had a positive experience fundraising and is raising another round. She said she'd noticed a stark difference in the way venture capitalists treated her and other Black women. "They take less of a risk on you," she said.The rise in Black-focused funds is having some impact on the landscape of venture capital, though there is still much to be done, she said.14. Shiloh Johnson — $5.5 millionBefore founding Complyant, Shiloh Johnson was a tax advisor.@thebeautifullifenationIn February 2022, tax-assistance platform Complyant raised a $5.5 million seed round led by Craft Ventures with participation from Mucker Capital, Slauson & Co., and Techstars. "I feel a deep sense of honor and responsibility being a minority woman and having accomplished something that is so incredibly difficult for most," Shiloh Johnson said, adding that she was willing to share her knowledge and connections to make the process easier for another Black female founder."All the women on this list are proof that we are venture-backable — that we can build big business, dream big, and execute," she said.15. Vanessa Rissetto and Tamar Samuels — $5 millionVanessa Rissetto (left) and Tamar Samuels (right) cofounded Culina Health.Lauren AnzevinoVanessa Rissetto and Tamar Samuels cofounded Culina Health, a digital platform that connects clients with nutritionists for virtual sessions, in February 2020. The company's launch just a month before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent rush to health services allowed it to grow rapidly in the first year. Today, the platform hosts nearly 2,000 client sessions a month, and Rissetto says that number is growing. To date, Culina has raised $9.75 million, and the company is valued at $21.5 million. The most recent funding, a seed round that closed in February 2023, was worth $5 million and was led by Healthworx (the venture arm of blue cross blue shield), Rethink Impact, Collide Capital, Vamos Ventures, and Cake Ventures.16. Jess Anuna – $4.5 millionJess Anuna, founder of Klashacourtesy of AnunaKlasha, founded by Jess Anuna, is a technology and commerce company that facilitates cross-border transactions between Africa and other international countries. While Klasha Business, the business-to-business branch, allows international merchants to accept payments from Africa, Klasha Personal, the consumer branch, allows African consumers to shop and spend across borders.The goal of the company is to create seamless opportunities to shop for African consumers while still using African currencies.In June 2022, the company added $2.1 million to complete its $4.5 million seed round. Investors include Amex Ventures, the investment group of American Express and Global Ventures.17. Jasmine Shells and Denise Umubyeyi — $4.25 millionJasmine ShellsCourtesy of Jasmine ShellsJasmine Shells and Denise Umubyeyi cofounded Five to Nine in 2019. The company is an enterprise SaaS, or Software as a Service, platform that aims to help companies manage and measure employee engagement initiatives and events, like manager trainings and bonding activities.The company closed a $4.25 million seed round, led by Black Operator Ventures, in April 2022. The Chicago-based company has raised $5.75 million to date.18. Alessandra Knight — $4 millionBefore Katch, Alessandra Knight was a development manager at Carpe Data.Alessandra KnightIn July 2021, scheduling app Katch raised a $4 million seed round led by the venture-capital firm LocalGlobe and the fund Speedinvest. Other angel investors included the Giphy founder Alex Chung and Classpass CEO Fritz Lanman.Alessandra Knight, Edwin Akrong, and Paul Murphy launched the business in 2021 with the goal of making calendar planning more effective. (It's still in beta mode.)Knight said the fundraising journey was "an incredible opportunity.""As a Black woman, I felt empowered to be there having a seat at the table for our voices to be heard," Knight said, adding that she'd met other founders of color who wanted the same opportunity to sit with venture capitalists."I hope we see more of that in the future, VCs who see the value in minorities like me," she said.19. Tiffany Kelly — $3.8 millionBefore founding Curastory, CEO Tiffany Kelly was a sports analytics associate at ESPN.Tiffany KellyCurastory helps creators in athletics make, edit, and monetize their videos. In September 2022, the brand received a $100,000 grant from Google and, in January, closed a seed- and seed-extension round at $3.8 million, bringing the total funding to $6.3 million.Tiffany Kelly launched Curastory in 2019, tapping her previous experience as a sports analytics associate at ESPN. "It's crazy that there's this few of us here, but I'm happy that I am one of the few so I can extend it forward," she said.20. Maia Tekle — $3.7 millionTekle and her cofounder Hoell lived off their savings to focus on building Dispatch Goods full-time.Dispatch GoodsMaia Tekle and Lindsey Hoell are the cofounders of Dispatch Goods, a sustainable packaging startup that partners with DoorDash and local restaurants to deliver food in reusable bags and containers. Once the customers are done with the items, Dispatch Goods collects and cleans the items to then use for other customers.In December 2021, Dispatch Goods raised $3.7 million in seed funding led by Congruent Ventures with participation from Bread and Butter Ventures, Precursor Ventures, and others.As a Black woman, Tekle is pleased to have made it this far. "Black women and women in general often have to prove why their ideas are great and why they belong in a room," Tekle said. "It's been awesome to find firms that see us as we are and back us because of it."21. Diaundra Jones – $3.2 millionDiaundra Jonescourtesy of JonesSocial platform Seventh Avenue raised $3.2 million of its $4 million goal for its seed round. The round originally closed in November 2021, at $2.5 million, led by MaC Venture Capital with additional investors including Backstage Capital and Twitter, but reopened with the $4 million goal in 2022. The platform is designed for professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs to share and earn money from digital content. The company was cofounded in 2020 by Diaundra Jones and Brylan Donaldson, who wanted to create a digital gathering space for the Black community. Jones called the fundraising journey a learning experience, noting she didn't know what a venture capitalist was before she began, due to a lack of exposure to the space. "I didn't even realize that less than 2% of capital fundraising went to Black-owned businesses," Jones said. "It's been super humbling to realize there's just so few people who have done this, and to be part of that small number at only 25."22. Autumn Adeigbo — $3 millionAutumn Adeigbo says that girls who wear her designs are the bright spot of every room.Autumn AdeigboNigerian fashion designer Autumn Adeigbo raised $3 million in the summer of 2021 for her eponymous clothing brand, bringing her total funding to $4.3 million. "Black female founders have a track record and a history of outperforming in the entrepreneurial landscape with less resources," Adeigbo said. "To be here is an honor, because most Black women founders in the early stages are not in positions where we get to pick and choose good deals."23. Mandy Price and Star Carter — $3 millionMandy Price (left) and Star Carter, two of Kanarys' three cofounders. Before Kanarys, Price and Carter were attorneys.KanarysIn January 2021, cofounders Mandy Price, Star Carter, and Bennie King announced that their company, Kanarys, closed a $3 million seed round with investments from 100 Black Angels Fund and Zeal Capital Partners. Kanarys is a tech company focused on creating systemic change around diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges in the workplace. Kanarys has raised $5.1 million since its launch in 2019.24. Crystal Etienne — $3 millionCrystal Etienne initially launched Ruby Love in 2015 under the name PantyProp, before rebranding the company in 2019.Crystal EtienneCrystal Etienne's startup, Ruby Love, creates underwear and swimsuits with period-leak protection and was launched in 2015. In April 2021, the business closed a $3 million bridge round led by SteelSky Ventures and Base Ventures. To date, Ruby Love has raised $17 million.25. Edna Martinson — $3 millionBefore Boddle, Edna Martinson was a market analyst at the real-estate firm Copaken Brooks.Edna MartinsonEdna Martinson and Clarence Tan started Boddle in 2018 before launching the platform — an interactive, educational gaming platform for students between kindergarten and sixth grade — in early 2020.Boddle says its AI-enabled product is used in more than 27,000 classrooms nationwide. In September 2022, the married duo raised a $3 million seed round that included KCRise Fund, Lightship Capital, Atento Capital, and ACT Ventures."The fundraising journey is always a roller-coaster ride — especially talking to so many different investors and a lot of lessons learned," Martinson told Insider, adding that she received encouragement from one of her advisors, who reminded her not everyone would understand her vision."Not everybody's going to get the vision, but the ones that did, it was just really great synergy," she said.26. Barbara Jones — $3 millionBarbara Jones, founder of Freeing Returnscourtesy of JonesFreeing Returns, formerly Lilli RNB Inc., provides data services and helps detect and deter retail fraud. Barbara Jones founded the firm.The company closed a pre-seed round in 2021 for $750,000, led by Morgan Stanley Bank Multicultural Lab. Then, in April 2022, Freeing Returns closed a $3 million seed round, which was co-led by Serena Ventures and Aperture Venture Capital, bringing the total venture capital money fundraised to $3.75 million.Additionally, Jones received non-dilutive funding from Google For Startups' Black Founders Fund and around $400,000 in grant funding. 27. Tiffanie Stanard — $2.5 millionTiffanie StanardCourtesy of Tiffanie StanardStimulus is a cloud software startup that aims to help companies make smarter purchasing decisions on supply chain providers. Tiffanie Stanard founded Stimulus in 2017.In July 2022, Stimulus closed a $2.5 million seed funding round led by Black Operators Ventures. This brings the Philadelphia-based startup's total funding to $3.5 million.28. Fatima Dicko — $2.5 millionBefore Sugar, Fatima Dicko was a master's candidate at Stanford University.Fatima DickoLaunched by Fatima Dicko in 2020, Sugar is a proptech startup seeking to make apartment living easier by allowing residents to do tasks such as pay rent and unlock doors from the Sugar app.In August 2021, it closed a $2.5 million seed round with investors such as Agya Ventures and Concrete Rose Capital. In total, the startup has received 2.6 million in funding.29. Osahon Ojeaga and Mary Ellen Moore – $2.5 millionOsahon Ojeaga (right) and Mary Ellen Moore are cofounders of Nourie.Courtesy of NourieOsahon Ojeaga and her cofounder Mary Ellen Moore partnered in late 2020 to launch the plant-based braiding hair extension brand, Nourie. The product is made of biodegradable plant materials in an effort to address the current sustainability issues in the hair extension industry.Nourie closed a $2.5 million seed round in September 2022, led by Impact America Fund, SOSV's Indie Bio, and Better Ventures."When describing the value of our product compared to the value of what exists in the market today, you can't beat it," Ojeaga said, adding that making that clear is what's led her to success with investors.30. Maisha Burt — $2.5 millionMaisha Burt used her experience as a remote worker to build WorkChew, a platform that helps remote workers reserve spaces at participating hotels and restaurants.Maisha BurtFounder and CEO Maisha Burt created WorkChew in 2018 with the goal of connecting remote workers with local restaurants and hotels where they could reserve tables or rooms. Users pay for the space through WorkChew, but the restaurants and hotels offer perks like discounted food.Burt, who previously worked remotely, raised a $2.5 million seed round in March 2021 led by the venture-capital firm Harlem Capital."Reaching this milestone lets other Black female entrepreneurs know that they can achieve their goals too," Burt said.31. Kelly Ifill — $2.4 millionKelly Ifill founded Guava, a banking app for Black-owned small businesses, in 2021.Courtesy of Kelly IfillGuava is a banking app for Black-owned small businesses and designed to help them track account activity, manage financial growth, and network with other entrepreneurs. Kelly Ifill founded the company in 2021. In July 2022, Guava closed a $2.4 million pre-seed round, led by Heron Rock Fund.32. Morgan Hewett — $2.35 millionBefore Options MD, Morgan Hewett worked at Facebook as a client-solutions manager in Singapore.Morgan HewettIn November 2022, the medical platform Options MD announced $2.35 million in funding, led by Bread & Butter Ventures, M13, Bright Ventures, and Collab Capital. Morgan Hewett and Kyle Pierce launched the business in 2020 with the goal of connecting people diagnosed with depression to personalized treatment options. "As a Black-, Latinx-, female-, and LGBTQ-owned company, my cofounder and I look nothing like the VCs that we often pitch to," Hewett told Insider. "That being said, we feel fortunate to have started our company at a time when VCs are finally acknowledging the importance of investing in both health-tech companies and diverse founders."33. Jacquelle Amankonah Horton — $2.2 millionJacquelle Amankonah Horton closed a $2.2 million seed round for Fave in May.(Courtesy of Jacquelle Amankonah Horton)Jacquelle Amankonah Horton launched Fave, a community for superfans who want to connect with creators, in 2020. The goal was to build a platform where fans can connect with one another, make content about their favorite celebrities, and sell their creations.In May 2021, Fave closed a $2.2 million seed round led by Female Founders Fund, Sony Music, Quality Control, and others. The company recently reopened the funding round and has reached $3.4 million total so far.  Horton understood the difficulty of raising venture capital as a Black woman, but knew she had to take the chance. "Because I have such conviction for what I'm doing, it was worth it for me to leave some big company and go start something on my own," she said, adding that she left a role at YouTube to launch Fave. "That is the driving force for me every single day and makes the risk today worth it."34. Ciara Imani May – $2.1 millionCiara Imani May is the founder of RebundleCurtis Taylor, Jr.Ciara Imani May is the founder of Rebundle, which sells plant-based synthetic braiding hair with an "end-of-life plan," meaning that after the hair is used, it doesn't end up in a dumpster adding to the world's plastic waste problem.The company closed its $2.1 million pre-seed round in December 2022. The round includes investors like NBA star Chris Paul and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.35. Emily Brown — $2.1 millionEmily Brown, founder of Free From Marketcourtesy of BrownEmily Brown is the cofounder of digital health and ecommerce platform Free From Market.She launched the brand with the belief that "food is medicine," and with the business, helps combine personalization, nutritional support, and data to assist lower-income Americans living with chronic medical conditions.Free From Market closed its $2.1 million seed round in January 2023. The round was led by Bluestein Ventures.36. Tiiso McGinty, Mary Imevbore, and Susana Hawken — $2 millionFrom left: Tiiso McGinty, Mary Imevbore, and Susana Hawken. Before Waeve, they were all students at Williams College.WaeveMary Imevbore, Susana Hawken, and Tiiso McGinty launched the wig brand Waeve in early 2021. In June 2021, it closed a $2 million seed round led by Pillar VC.37. Piersten Gaines — $2 millionAt Pressed Roots, “we focus on silk blowouts all day, every day. Because of that focus, we can commit to saving our customers time, money and effort,” Gaines said.Pressed RootsPiersten Gaines, CEO and founder of Pressed Roots, established her Dallas-based hair salon in 2018. Pressed Roots specializes in blowouts, particularly for Black women or those with textured hair.In March 2021, Pressed Roots raised a $2 million seed round from Slauson & Co and  RevTech Ventures. Gaines plans to use the round to build two other locations in Texas."I know how tough it can be to raise as a Black woman," Gaines said. "More work needs to be done, but there's progress being made and I'm glad to be a part of that progress."38. Monique Little — $2 millionMonique Little, founder of YouGoNaturalMonique LittleMonique Little launched her hair and beauty company YouGoNatural in 2016, with the goal of creating protective hair wraps for those with natural hair. In April 2021, the company closed a $2 million seed round led by Brand Foundry Ventures. Calling the fundraising journey "quite grueling," Little said her team spent three months meeting with inventors before making a deal with Brand Foundry Ventures. "I learned important lessons in making our brand, which historically spoke to a relatively small niche of the market, speaks to a much broader demographic," Little said. "This helped us to make connections and find opportunities that might otherwise not be available."39. Dr. Rachel Angel — $2 millionDr. Rachel AngelCourtesy of Dr. Rachel AngelFounded by Dr. Rachel Angel, Peero is a Cleveland, Ohio-based app that connects young people with employment opportunities. The app — used by job seekers, employers, educators, and education advocates — helps schedule interviews, find training opportunities, and share job search resources.In October 2021, the company announced it closed a $2 million seed round, led by CincyTech.40. Ashley Edwards — $1.78 millionAshley Edwards is the first Black woman in New Jersey to raise $1 million in venture capital, according to Forbes.Ashley EdwardsAshley Edwards, a former director of operations of a charter school in New Jersey, founded MindRightHealth to provide mental health coaching for communities healing from trauma. In June 2022, she raised $1.78 million in seed funding, led by Lifeforce Capital. Edwards is the first Black woman in New Jersey to raise $1 million in VC, according to Forbes."Hitting the milestone of raising over $1 million as a Black female founder is incredibly difficult," Edwards said. "Even with the privilege that I have, as someone who went to Stanford and Yale and has access to networks, it was still very difficult to get in the door."41. Britney Winters — $1.7 millionBefore Upgrade Boutique, Britney Winters worked at Shell Corporation as an advisor.Britney WintersThe beauty tech platform Upgrade Boutique was founded in 2019 by Britney Winters. In May 2021, it closed a $1.7 million seed round led by Mercury Fund and The Artemis Fund.The company has raised $2 million in VC capital since its launch, Forbes reported.42. Amira Rasool — $1.7 millionBefore she launched The Folklore Group, founder Amira Rasool was a fashion writer and editor for publications like Time, Vogue, and Glamour.Courtesy of Amira RasoolThe Folklore Group is a B2B wholesale platform designed to help founders in emerging markets manage and scale their businesses. Before she launched The Folklore Group, founder Amira Rasool was a fashion writer and editor for publications like Time, Vogue, and Glamour.In April 2022, The Folklore Group closed a $1.7 million pre-seed round led by Slauson & Co. This brings the New York-based startup's total funding to $1.85 million.43. Diarrha N'Diaye — $1.69 millionDiarrha N'Diaye is the founder of Ami Colé, an inclusive beauty line focused on products for darker complexions.(Courtesy of Diarrha N'Diaye)In 2019, Diarrha N'Diaye launched Ami Colé, an inclusive beauty line focused on products for darker complexions. In 2021, the company closed a $1.69 million pre-seed round led by Imaginary Ventures.Other investors include The Cut's editor-in-chief, Lindsay Peoples Wagner; the Clique Brands cofounder Katherine Power; and Hannah Bronfman, the founder of the lifestyle brand Healthy, Beauty, Fitness.44. April Johnson — $1.6 millionApril Johnson's company closed a $1.6 pre-seed round in July 2022.Courtesy of April JohnsonIn 2017, April Johnson founded Happied, a corporate event concierge service that aims to help companies plan for remote, hybrid, and in-person gatherings. The events aim to help teams, clients, and communities build social connections.The company closed a $1.6 pre-seed round in July 2022. To date, the company has raised $1.72 million.45. Kimberly Wilson — $1.6 millionBefore HUED, Kimberly Wilson worked in social-media marketing.B. Alyssa TrofortIn 2018, Kimberly Wilson launched her healthcare platform HUED. In August 2021, she closed a $1.6 million seed round led by Female Founders Fund. Other backers included Serena Williams' Serena Ventures and Black Founders Matter.46. Farah Allen — $1.6 millionFarah Allen is also the cofounder of The Allen Group, a consulting group that specializes in software development.Farah AllenIn January 2021, The Labz, an event platform, closed a $1.6 million seed round with investors including Abigail Disney and Adrienne Becker via their production company Level Forward, the Trello founder Joel Spolsky, and Beresford Ventures.Farah Allen launched the company in 2018 to help businesses host in-person and online events. Companies like Comcast and Amazon have used the service, according to The Labz's website. Allen told Insider that her fundraising journey was one of "disbelief," with investors asking her to provide traction and revenue five times greater than typically expected of a company at that early stage."They may be a pre-seed or seed investor, but they are asking me for Series A or B traction," she said. "The bar moves as we try to seek capital."47. Khadesha Okwudili — $1.6 millionKhadesha Okwudili is also a writer at the health magazine The Mighty and was previously a research intern at Weill Cornell Medicine.Khadesha OkwudiliIn July 2021, the relationship wellness app Agapé announced that it closed a $1.6 million seed round led by Harlem Capital. Founder Khadesha Okwudili launched the company in 2019 and has raised a total of $1.76 million.The app seeks to strengthen the bond between couples by asking questions — such as "What is your favorite memory" — and sharing the responses with partners.48. Tiasia O'Brien — $1.6 millionTiasia O'Brien, founder of co:censusDaniella Monestime PhotographyTiasia O'Brien started her company in 2018. Growing up in Bushwick, Brooklyn, she saw the neighborhood go through intense gentrification, displacing community members, all with very little civic engagement or communication. So she launched co:census (previously Seam Social Labs) which uses AI and Software as a Service to help urban planners and developers be more civically engaged during city projects. The company has raised $2.1 million in venture capital. Its most recent round, a $1.6 million seed, was closed in July 2022.49. Janett Liriano and Erika Liriano — $1.5 millionJanett Liriano was previously recognized for her textile company Loomia.Janett Liriano and Erika LirianoIn December 2022, Inaru, a cocoa company, closed a $1.5 million seed round led by early-stage venture firm 1517 Fund.Janett Liriano and her sister Erika Liriano launched the company in 2020 and have partnered with more than 400 farmers in the Dominican Republic to create their organic cocoa products. During fundraising, the duo was forced to ignore noticeable "double standards" in the way they were being treated by investors.Erika told Insider they saw others raise millions with just a suggestion of a business plan and no expertise, while they had to compile a "stellar" team, and submit complete data, validated research, farmer contracts, and advanced financial models."Janett did most of the pitching," Erika said, "so it was tough seeing her have to push as hard as she did and take it all in stride."50. Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall — $1.4 millionPrior to Quickhire, Gladney worked in communications at Koch Industries, while Muhwezi-Hall was a student advisor at the University of Southern California.Deborah GladneyIn November 2021, job finding platform Quickhire closed a $1.4 million pre-seed round led by MATH Venture Partners, making its cofounders Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall the first Black women in Kansas to raise more than $1 million in funding, according to the business website AfroTech. The company raised $1.9 million in total funding since it launched in April 2020. The hardest part of fundraising was knowing where to start, Gladney said. The sister cofounders would hear stories of people raising millions and figured they could do the same, only to realize they lacked access to many resources that could help them, such as investor contact information. They also had to learn how to make a pitch deck. "It felt like it was systemically already built for us to be excluded," Gladney said.51. Janice Omadeke — $1.4 millionBefore The Mentor Method, Janice Omadeke worked for the accounting firm PwC.Janice OmadekeJanice Omadeke created the human-resources startup The Mentor Method in 2015. In September 2022, she sold the startup to women's training organization The Cru. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Prior to the sale, she raised a $1.4 million seed round in 2021. Omadeke was the 94th Black woman to secure over $1 million in funding, AfroTech reported.52. Sofiat Abdulrazaaq — $1.3 millionAbdulrazaaq believes that making the fundraising playing field more equitable for Black women founders starts by treating everyone equally.Derrick Bryson TaylorIn 2018,  Sofiat "Sofi" Abdulrazaaq cofounded Goodfynd, a payment platform that helps users locate nearby food trucks and, in return, helps food trucks take payments from customers. In May 2022, she closed a second seed raise of $1.3 million in the form of a SAFE contract, which stands for a "simple agreement for future equity." Startups use this tactic to raise seed financing capital. In 2021, the company raised a $1.8 million seed round led by the Artemis Fund, Valor Ventures, Accion, and others. "Reaching this milestone has validated me and given me a confidence boost, but I'm not done yet," Abdulrazaaq said. "I want to see even more women founders and Black woman founders specifically reach this milestone too."53. Kimba Williams and Dr. Barbara McLaren — $1.3 millionWilliams previously worked for The Coca-Cola Company and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.(Courtesy of Kimba Williams)Feminine hygiene company Kushae closed a $1.3 million seed round in December 2021, led by venture firm Fearless Fund. Kimba Williams and Dr. Barbara McLaren, an OB/GYN, launched the business in 2018 after McLaren was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. She later learned that toxins in her breast tissue were linked to the hygiene products she used daily. Today, Kushae creates non-toxic skin products, like foaming washes and deodorants.Williams described the fundraising journey as "inundating, daunting, and statistically impossible." To succeed, she educated herself on the process and sought funds with a track record of supporting Black women. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I'm a mom of three boys," Williams told Insider.54. Denetrias Charlemagne — $1.2 millionCharlemagne believes oftentimes that not, a bulk of community build can happen over drinks.Sarah HoppNatural cocktail mixer startup AVEC raised a $1.2 million seed round in October 2021, led by Gather Ventures with participation from Pharrell Williams's non-profit Black Ambition and others. The company was created in 2019 by Denetrias 'Dee' Charlemagne and Alex Doman. When creating AVEC, Charlemagne wanted to create cocktail mixers with natural ingredients to build better health and wellness habits in the beverage industry. Meanwhile, Charlemagne is also focused on closing the racial wealth gap. "Entrepreneurship is one of the biggest ways to close the wealth gap," she said. "Being able to be more transparent about the journey of what it's like being a Black founder and closing that gap is exciting."55. Chantal Emmanuel — $1.2 millionBefore LimeLoop, Chantal Emmanuel was a software engineer at the leadership firm SYPartners.Chantal EmmanuelIn October, LimeLoop, a sustainable-shipping company, closed a $1.2 million convertible note with investors including the venture-capital firms Silicon Road Ventures and Urban Us.Chantal Emmanuel and Ashley Etling launched the business in 2018 to build sustainable shipping models for e-commerce brands. To date, the company has raised $1.3 million in funding."Raising as a Black woman means we have to prepare ourselves for more 'no's than our peers," Emmanuel told Insider. "But when you are able to weed through and find the people who believe in you and the company you're building, they tend to be some of the best partners out there.""I dream of the day that being a Black female founder of a venture-backed company is no longer a novelty," she said, "that it's so commonplace that it's not even worth noting."56. Dawn Myers — $1.07 millionDawn Myers, founder of The Most, Inc.courtesy of MyersDawn Myers launched The Most in 2018. The company is an umbrella of brands focused on bringing tech-enabled hair tools and products. The company's beauty brand, Richualist, includes The Mint, a hair tool designed to detangles and condition textured hair. The Most closed its $1.07 million pre-seed round in 2022, which was led by Kwame Anku at Black Star Fund and supported by Fempire Fund, Dow's Venture Arm, 1863 Ventures, and Techstars.57. Yelitsa Jean-Charles — $1 millionBefore Healthy Roots Dolls, Yelitsa Jean-Charles held jobs as a graphic designer. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016.Yelitsa Jean-CharlesHealthy Roots Dolls, a toy company made specifically with girls of color in mind, announced in February 2021 a $1 million seed round led by Backstage Capital, bringing its total funding to $1.5 million, AfroTech reported. The company was founded in 2015 by Yelitsa Jean-Charles and is known for creating a Black doll with natural hair. In 2019, it partnered with Procter & Gamble for a campaign celebrating Black natural hair.58. Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons — $1 millionKerry Schrader (left) and her daughter Ashlee Ammons. Before Mixtroz, Schrader worked in human resourcing, while Ammons worked in events management.MixtrozIn May 2021, the networking app Mixtroz announced $1 million in seed funding led by Black Star Fund. The company was founded in 2014 by the mother-daughter team Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons, and it allows users to create events and other group sessions to connect with each other. Startup Savant reported that the company said it had worked with Deloitte, Amazon, and Target. In 2018, the company closed a pre-seed round for $1 million. In total, the company has raised $2 million in funding.59. Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina Bright — $1 millionPreviously, Wisdom worked as a program director for advisory firm Junto Health.Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina BrightMental wellness app Health in her HUE closed a $1 million pre-seed round in July 2021. The app was founded by Ashlee Wisdom and Eddwina Bright in 2018 and seeks to connect women of color with health care providers and professionals. The company has raised a total of $1.2 million. One of the hardest parts of the fundraising process was finding the energy to pitch potential backers and run the business, especially when investors weren't clear on the metrics they wanted in order to invest, Wisdom told Insider. "I'm also an overachiever," she continued. "I know how to be successful, but there is no key to success in this process."60. Kayla Castañeda — $1 millionKayla Castañeda, who identifies as Afro-Latina, launched Agua Bonita with Erin PonTell in 2020.(Courtesy of Kayla Castañeda)Kayla Castañeda, who identifies as Afro-Latina, and Erin PonTell launched Agua Bonita in 2020. The fruit-water beverage brand says it doesn't use added sugars and strives to be more sustainable by using surplus and "ugly" produce that might be passed over.In September 2021, Agua Bonita closed a $1 million round that included participation from Convivialité Ventures, Cedar Capital, and Supply Change Capital. To date, the startup has raised $2 million.Raising more than $1 million in VC "was never a set goal for us when we started out," Castañeda said. "But we're so glad that we have been able to do it."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Former president Donald Trump has been arrested. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in Manhattan court on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Trump has left the courtroomThe former president uttered "Not guilty" when asked by a judge how he pleaded during his brief court appearance.Trump didn't speak to reporters as he left.Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felonies countsFormer US President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court on April 4, 2023 in New York City.Seth Wenig/Getty ImagesDonald Trump pleaded not guilty during his court appearance, according to multiple media reporters.Reuters reported Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.Read Full StoryThe Trump campaign's fake mugshot T-shirt added 2 inches to his heightImmediately following Donald Trump's arrest in Manhattan on Tuesday, his campaign began promoting a new T-shirt featuring a mugshot of the former president emblazoned with the phrase "NOT GUILTY."But the mugshot isn't real. And neither is Trump's height, as depicted by the T-shirt.Read MoreFirst images show Donald Trump sitting in court during his arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York.Seth Wenig/Associated PressTrump is currently being arraigned on criminal charges in a Manhattan courthouse.No one held the door for Trump as he walked into courtFormer President Donald Trump at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York on April 4, 2023.Ed Jones/AFP via Getty ImagesA scowling Trump was spotted on live TV walking through a door in the Manhattan courthouse.Unlike during his time as president, no one held the door for him.—The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023Keep Reading Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrates Marjorie Taylor Greene getting heckled in New York City at a pro-Trump rallyRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesDemocratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York celebrated a report that her far-right colleague from Georgia, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, was heckled Tuesday in New York City."Welcome to NYC!," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted with a Statue of Liberty emoji. "Where there are still social consequences for shameless bigotry"Greene was in the city to speak at a pro-Donald Trump rally ahead of the former president being arraigned, but her speech lasted less than 10 minutes before she quickly left the throng of reporters.Read Full StoryWhite House says Biden isn't focusing on Trump's criminal casePresident Biden is set to end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies in May.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, PoolWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Trump's arrest and pending arraignment on criminal charges."We're just not going to comment specifically on the case itself," Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday afternoon.As for President Biden, Jean-Pierre said Trump's legal woes were "not his focus for today."Donald Trump is now in custodyDonald Trump holds up a fist to onlookers as he leaves to be taken into custody and arraigned.APDonald Trump surrendered into the custody of the Manhattan district attorney's office at 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday.He will remain under arrest until mid-afternoon, when he'll enter a plea of "not guilty" and a judge will let him go home.—Noah Hurowitz (@NoahHurowitz) April 4, 2023 Read Full StoryTrump is headed to his arraignment along with police and Secret Service agents—The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023 Donald Trump has left Trump Tower to a waiting caravan of vehicles on Manhattan's 56th Street. He emerged from the building under a golden awning to a contingent of NYPD, FDNY, and Secret Service vehicles that had been screened by police dogs.As he stepped out, he held up a fist to onlookers.The former president will now drive downtown to 100 Centre Street for his historic arraignment.   Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasts less than 10 minutesMarjorie Taylor Greene during her minutes-long speech at a small pro-Trump rally on Tuesday in New York City.ReutersGeorgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasted less than 10 minutes in the park outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is set to be arraigned later Tuesday.Greene used a megaphone during her less speech at the planned rally where the media outnumbered backers of Trump."The government has been weaponized against [Trump]," Greene told the swarm of press and Trump supporters before her. "I am here to protest, use my voice and take a stand. Every American should take a stand."Greene called Trump an "innocent man," saying, "We cannot tolerate this injustice in the United States of America."The rally to support Trump then quickly devolved into a political demonstration featuring Greene's usual talking points against Democrats."Democrats are the party of violence," Greene said as she called the Republican Party "the party of peace."As Greene left the park after the minutes-long speech, she was rushed away from the rally amid a crush of reporters and demonstrators, as people could be heard shouting for her to "get the fuck out of my city!"  Anti-Trump protesters outnumbered his supporters outside the courthouseAnti-Trump demonstrators stand behind a metal barricade at the NYC courthouse before Donald Trump's arraignmentJacob ShamsianThe protesters chanted "Lock him up!"Trump, in an all-caps rant, wants the trial moved to Staten Island where more of his voters liveFormer President Donald Trump.Scott Olson/Getty ImagesIn an all-caps message posted online before his arraignment, Donald Trump railed against his upcoming criminal case, saying it wouldn't be fair because Manhattan voters didn't support him."VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN," the former US president wrote on his TruthSocial website. "THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND - WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL."Staten Island was the only New York City borough to have a majority of voters support Trump in the 2020 election.Demonstrators outnumbered by reporters before Trump's arraignmentPro-Trump supporters, a man dressed in a Donald Trump costume, and serial liar George Santos were among the small crowd gathering at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park.Supporters and spectators started gathering at the park Tuesday morning, which is near the Manhattan Criminal Court where former President Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon. But reporters and journalists vastly outnumbered the demonstrators Tuesday morning. —Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) April 4, 2023 Santos appeared on the pro-Trump side of Collect Pond Park accompanied by a small entourage and was immediately swarmed by a crush of cameras and press. Santos repeated "I'm here to support the President" and then left the park after about 5 minutes of being completely surrounded by reporters and bystanders jeering at him.The park will be the site of a 10:30 a.m. pro-Trump rally hosted by The New York Young Republicans and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump's Secret Service agents would accompany him if he went to jail, retired US judge saysThen-US President Donald Trump walks with Secret Service agents in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2017.REUTERS/Joshua RobertsSecret Service agents would accompany former President Donald Trump if he went to jail, a retired US judge told Sky News.Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, said agents would follow him to jail for his protection."Let's assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents," Cosgrove said.Former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law.Former Secret Service officials told Insider's Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal last November that if Trump went to prison for any reason Secret Service agents would very likely follow him, though they said an agent wouldn't end up in a cell with him.Experts say that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time if he is convicted, and it is more likely that he will be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation.Read Full Story This is the scene outside the court, as Trump is due to be arraignedOutside the court on Tuesday morning.Jacob Shamsian/InsiderMore than 100 reporters stood in line outside of Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Trump is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon, but journalists began gathering at 100 Centre Street by 2:45 p.m. on Monday to secure one of the limited seats inside the courtroom.Some outlets hired people to wait in the line overnight so reporters could catch a few hours rest before returning early Tuesday morning.The New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing noted the historic nature of the proceedings in a Monday court order."That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges," Judge Juan Merchan wrote.He went on to say that Trump's arraignment has "generated unparalleled public interest and media attention."While Merchan acknowledged the importance of the press, he ruled against broadcasting the proceedings live after Trump's lawyers argued that doing so would create a "circus-like atmosphere."Merchan also ruled that no electronic devices would be allowed inside the courtroom. Five pool photographers will be permitted to take still photos from the jury box for a limited time before the proceedings, and the use of cameras will be permitted in the hallways.Nearby the courthouse, Trump supporters are expected to start gathering by 10:30 a.m.The New York Young Republicans are holding a pro-Trump rally at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park, which is adjacent to the courthouse.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicized the event, calling for those in attendance to wear MAGA hats.Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF'Trump attacked Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday.Gotham/GC Images and Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesOn the eve of his arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF."Trump, who was indicted on Thursday and is expected to surrender on April 4, lashed out at Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday."Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday."Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump.Trump did not elaborate on why he thought Bragg leaked any information from the sealed indictment and did not provide any evidence to prove his claim. READ FULL STORYTough times in the Trump press lineAn Associated Press journalist found an ingenious way to work while waiting in line to secure a press seat at former President Donald Trump's arraignment. Bobby Calvan put an old pizza box on top of a rusty garbage can to create a makeshift desk, per a tweet by his colleague Mike Sisak, also an AP reporter.—Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 3, 2023   Trump is slated to be arraigned tomorrow in New York. Calvan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina warns that we might be on the 'eve of destruction' the night before Trump's arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on April 03, 2023 in New York City.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesJoe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, likened the night before Trump's arraignment to the "eve of destruction."In an interview on Monday on Fox News, Tacopina — who is representing Trump in New York — said he could not believe that the ex-president was going to be arraigned on Tuesday."What's extraordinary is that tomorrow is actually happening, that's what's extraordinary. I just cannot believe it, I  think we're on the eve of destruction. It's just like surreal to me," Tacopina said.Tacopina's words on Fox News were similar to the ominous sentiment expressed in Trump's previous Truth Social posts. On March 23, Trump predicted that there would be "death & destruction" if he is indicted. Trump on March 18 also called on his followers to protest" and "take our nation back," echoing his own rhetoric before the January 6 Capitol riot.READ FULL STORYThe arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rulesFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night.Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere."Read Full StoryThe supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this eveningTaisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap.She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing.""The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this."She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight.Supporters are flying in to support TrumpReutersArlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment.The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city."I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president."Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City."Too many people."The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance."We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said.Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023.(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Former president Donald Trump has been arrested. Trump will be arraigned in Manhattan court on Tuesday after being indicted last week. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Donald Trump is now in custodyDonald Trump holds up a fist to onlookers as he leaves to be taken into custody and arraigned.APDonald Trump surrendered into the custody of the Manhattan district attorney's office at 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday.He will remain under arrest until mid-afternoon, when he'll enter a plea of "not guilty" and a judge will let him go home.—Noah Hurowitz (@NoahHurowitz) April 4, 2023 Read Full StoryTrump is headed to his arraignment along with police and Secret Service agents—The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023 Donald Trump has left Trump Tower to a waiting caravan of vehicles on Manhattan's 56th Street. He emerged from the building under a golden awning to a contingent of NYPD, FDNY, and Secret Service vehicles that had been screened by police dogs.As he stepped out, he held up a fist to onlookers.The former president will now drive downtown to 100 Centre Street for his historic arraignment.   Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasts less than 10 minutesMarjorie Taylor Greene during her minutes-long speech at a small pro-Trump rally on Tuesday in New York City.ReutersGeorgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasted less than 10 minutes in the park outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is set to be arraigned later Tuesday.Greene used a megaphone during her less speech at the planned rally where the media outnumbered backers of Trump."The government has been weaponized against [Trump]," Greene told the swarm of press and Trump supporters before her. "I am here to protest, use my voice and take a stand. Every American should take a stand."Greene called Trump an "innocent man," saying, "We cannot tolerate this injustice in the United States of America."The rally to support Trump then quickly devolved into a political demonstration featuring Greene's usual talking points against Democrats."Democrats are the party of violence," Greene said as she called the Republican Party "the party of peace."As Greene left the park after the minutes-long speech, she was rushed away from the rally amid a crush of reporters and demonstrators, as people could be heard shouting for her to "get the fuck out of my city!"  Anti-Trump protesters outnumbered his supporters outside the courthouseAnti-Trump demonstrators stand behind a metal barricade at the NYC courthouse before Donald Trump's arraignmentJacob ShamsianThe protesters chanted "Lock him up!"Trump, in an all-caps rant, wants the trial moved to Staten Island where more of his voters liveFormer President Donald Trump.Scott Olson/Getty ImagesIn an all-caps message posted online before his arraignment, Donald Trump railed against his upcoming criminal case, saying it wouldn't be fair because Manhattan voters didn't support him."VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN," the former US president wrote on his TruthSocial website. "THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND - WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL."Staten Island was the only New York City borough to have a majority of voters support Trump in the 2020 election.Demonstrators outnumbered by reporters before Trump's arraignmentPro-Trump supporters, a man dressed in a Donald Trump costume, and serial liar George Santos were among the small crowd gathering at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park.Supporters and spectators started gathering at the park Tuesday morning, which is near the Manhattan Criminal Court where former President Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon. But reporters and journalists vastly outnumbered the demonstrators Tuesday morning. —Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) April 4, 2023 Santos appeared on the pro-Trump side of Collect Pond Park accompanied by a small entourage and was immediately swarmed by a crush of cameras and press. Santos repeated "I'm here to support the President" and then left the park after about 5 minutes of being completely surrounded by reporters and bystanders jeering at him.The park will be the site of a 10:30 a.m. pro-Trump rally hosted by The New York Young Republicans and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump's Secret Service agents would accompany him if he went to jail, retired US judge saysThen-US President Donald Trump walks with Secret Service agents in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2017.REUTERS/Joshua RobertsSecret Service agents would accompany former President Donald Trump if he went to jail, a retired US judge told Sky News.Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, said agents would follow him to jail for his protection."Let's assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents," Cosgrove said.Former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law.Former Secret Service officials told Insider's Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal last November that if Trump went to prison for any reason Secret Service agents would very likely follow him, though they said an agent wouldn't end up in a cell with him.Experts say that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time if he is convicted, and it is more likely that he will be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation.Read Full Story This is the scene outside the court, as Trump is due to be arraignedOutside the court on Tuesday morning.Jacob Shamsian/InsiderMore than 100 reporters stood in line outside of Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Trump is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon, but journalists began gathering at 100 Centre Street by 2:45 p.m. on Monday to secure one of the limited seats inside the courtroom.Some outlets hired people to wait in the line overnight so reporters could catch a few hours rest before returning early Tuesday morning.The New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing noted the historic nature of the proceedings in a Monday court order."That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges," Judge Juan Merchan wrote.He went on to say that Trump's arraignment has "generated unparalleled public interest and media attention."While Merchan acknowledged the importance of the press, he ruled against broadcasting the proceedings live after Trump's lawyers argued that doing so would create a "circus-like atmosphere."Merchan also ruled that no electronic devices would be allowed inside the courtroom. Five pool photographers will be permitted to take still photos from the jury box for a limited time before the proceedings, and the use of cameras will be permitted in the hallways.Nearby the courthouse, Trump supporters are expected to start gathering by 10:30 a.m.The New York Young Republicans are holding a pro-Trump rally at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park, which is adjacent to the courthouse.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicized the event, calling for those in attendance to wear MAGA hats.Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF'Trump attacked Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday.Gotham/GC Images and Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesOn the eve of his arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF."Trump, who was indicted on Thursday and is expected to surrender on April 4, lashed out at Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday."Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday."Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump.Trump did not elaborate on why he thought Bragg leaked any information from the sealed indictment and did not provide any evidence to prove his claim. READ FULL STORYTough times in the Trump press lineAn Associated Press journalist found an ingenious way to work while waiting in line to secure a press seat at former President Donald Trump's arraignment. Bobby Calvan put an old pizza box on top of a rusty garbage can to create a makeshift desk, per a tweet by his colleague Mike Sisak, also an AP reporter.—Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 3, 2023   Trump is slated to be arraigned tomorrow in New York. Calvan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina warns that we might be on the 'eve of destruction' the night before Trump's arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on April 03, 2023 in New York City.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesJoe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, likened the night before Trump's arraignment to the "eve of destruction."In an interview on Monday on Fox News, Tacopina — who is representing Trump in New York — said he could not believe that the ex-president was going to be arraigned on Tuesday."What's extraordinary is that tomorrow is actually happening, that's what's extraordinary. I just cannot believe it, I  think we're on the eve of destruction. It's just like surreal to me," Tacopina said.Tacopina's words on Fox News were similar to the ominous sentiment expressed in Trump's previous Truth Social posts. On March 23, Trump predicted that there would be "death & destruction" if he is indicted. Trump on March 18 also called on his followers to protest" and "take our nation back," echoing his own rhetoric before the January 6 Capitol riot.READ FULL STORYThe arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rulesFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night.Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere."Read Full StoryThe supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this eveningTaisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap.She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing.""The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this."She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight.Supporters are flying in to support TrumpReutersArlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment.The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city."I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president."Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City."Too many people."The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance."We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said.Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023.(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Trump is in New York City ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday. Trump, in an all-caps rant, wants the trial moved to Staten Island where more of his voters liveFormer President Donald Trump.Scott Olson/Getty ImagesIn an all-caps message posted online before his arraignment, Donald Trump railed against his upcoming criminal case, saying it wouldn't be fair because Manhattan voters didn't support him."VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN," the former US president wrote on his TruthSocial website. "THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND - WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL."Staten Island was the only New York City borough to have a majority of voters support Trump in the 2020 election.Demonstrators outnumbered by reporters before Trump's arraignmentPro-Trump supporters, a man dressed in a Donald Trump costume, and serial liar George Santos were among the small crowd gathering at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park.Supporters and spectators started gathering at the park Tuesday morning, which is near the Manhattan Criminal Court where former President Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon. But reporters and journalists vastly outnumbered the demonstrators Tuesday morning. —Jacob Shamsian ⚖️ (@JayShams) April 4, 2023 Santos appeared on the pro-Trump side of Collect Pond Park accompanied by a small entourage and was immediately swarmed by a crush of cameras and press. Santos repeated "I'm here to support the President" and then left the park after about 5 minutes of being completely surrounded by reporters and bystanders jeering at him.The park will be the site of a 10:30 a.m. pro-Trump rally hosted by The New York Young Republicans and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump's Secret Service agents would accompany him if he went to jail, retired US judge saysThen-US President Donald Trump walks with Secret Service agents in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2017.REUTERS/Joshua RobertsSecret Service agents would accompany former President Donald Trump if he went to jail, a retired US judge told Sky News.Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, said agents would follow him to jail for his protection."Let's assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents," Cosgrove said.Former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law.Former Secret Service officials told Insider's Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal last November that if Trump went to prison for any reason Secret Service agents would very likely follow him, though they said an agent wouldn't end up in a cell with him.Experts say that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time if he is convicted, and it is more likely that he will be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation.Read Full Story This is the scene outside the court, as Trump is due to be arraignedOutside the court on Tuesday morning.Jacob Shamsian/InsiderMore than 100 reporters stood in line outside of Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Trump is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon, but journalists began gathering at 100 Centre Street by 2:45 p.m. on Monday to secure one of the limited seats inside the courtroom.Some outlets hired people to wait in the line overnight so reporters could catch a few hours rest before returning early Tuesday morning.The New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing noted the historic nature of the proceedings in a Monday court order."That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges," Judge Juan Merchan wrote.He went on to say that Trump's arraignment has "generated unparalleled public interest and media attention."While Merchan acknowledged the importance of the press, he ruled against broadcasting the proceedings live after Trump's lawyers argued that doing so would create a "circus-like atmosphere."Merchan also ruled that no electronic devices would be allowed inside the courtroom. Five pool photographers will be permitted to take still photos from the jury box for a limited time before the proceedings, and the use of cameras will be permitted in the hallways.Nearby the courthouse, Trump supporters are expected to start gathering by 10:30 a.m.The New York Young Republicans are holding a pro-Trump rally at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park, which is adjacent to the courthouse.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicized the event, calling for those in attendance to wear MAGA hats.Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF'Trump attacked Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday.Gotham/GC Images and Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesOn the eve of his arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF."Trump, who was indicted on Thursday and is expected to surrender on April 4, lashed out at Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday."Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday."Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump.Trump did not elaborate on why he thought Bragg leaked any information from the sealed indictment and did not provide any evidence to prove his claim. READ FULL STORYTough times in the Trump press lineAn Associated Press journalist found an ingenious way to work while waiting in line to secure a press seat at former President Donald Trump's arraignment. Bobby Calvan put an old pizza box on top of a rusty garbage can to create a makeshift desk, per a tweet by his colleague Mike Sisak, also an AP reporter.—Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 3, 2023   Trump is slated to be arraigned tomorrow in New York. Calvan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina warns that we might be on the 'eve of destruction' the night before Trump's arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on April 03, 2023 in New York City.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesJoe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, likened the night before Trump's arraignment to the "eve of destruction."In an interview on Monday on Fox News, Tacopina — who is representing Trump in New York — said he could not believe that the ex-president was going to be arraigned on Tuesday."What's extraordinary is that tomorrow is actually happening, that's what's extraordinary. I just cannot believe it, I  think we're on the eve of destruction. It's just like surreal to me," Tacopina said.Tacopina's words on Fox News were similar to the ominous sentiment expressed in Trump's previous Truth Social posts. On March 23, Trump predicted that there would be "death & destruction" if he is indicted. Trump on March 18 also called on his followers to protest" and "take our nation back," echoing his own rhetoric before the January 6 Capitol riot.READ FULL STORYThe arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rulesFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night.Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere."Read Full StoryThe supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this eveningTaisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap.She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing.""The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this."She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight.Supporters are flying in to support TrumpReutersArlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment.The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city."I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president."Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City."Too many people."The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance."We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said.Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023.(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Trump is in New York City ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday. Trump's Secret Service agents would accompany him if he went to jail, retired US judge saysThen-US President Donald Trump walks with Secret Service agents in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2017.REUTERS/Joshua RobertsSecret Service agents would accompany former President Donald Trump if he went to jail, a retired US judge told Sky News.Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, said agents would follow him to jail for his protection."Let's assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents," Cosgrove said.Former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law.Former Secret Service officials told Insider's Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal last November that if Trump went to prison for any reason Secret Service agents would very likely follow him, though they said an agent wouldn't end up in a cell with him.Experts say that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time if he is convicted, and it is more likely that he will be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation.Read Full Story This is the scene outside the court, as Trump is due to be arraignedOutside the court on Tuesday morning.Jacob Shamsian/InsiderMore than 100 reporters stood in line outside of Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Trump is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon, but journalists began gathering at 100 Centre Street by 2:45 p.m. on Monday to secure one of the limited seats inside the courtroom.Some outlets hired people to wait in the line overnight so reporters could catch a few hours rest before returning early Tuesday morning.The New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing noted the historic nature of the proceedings in a Monday court order."That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges," Judge Juan Merchan wrote.He went on to say that Trump's arraignment has "generated unparalleled public interest and media attention."While Merchan acknowledged the importance of the press, he ruled against broadcasting the proceedings live after Trump's lawyers argued that doing so would create a "circus-like atmosphere."Merchan also ruled that no electronic devices would be allowed inside the courtroom. Five pool photographers will be permitted to take still photos from the jury box for a limited time before the proceedings, and the use of cameras will be permitted in the hallways.Nearby the courthouse, Trump supporters are expected to start gathering by 10:30 a.m.The New York Young Republicans are holding a pro-Trump rally at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park, which is adjacent to the courthouse.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicized the event, calling for those in attendance to wear MAGA hats.Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF'Trump attacked Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday.Gotham/GC Images and Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesOn the eve of his arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF."Trump, who was indicted on Thursday and is expected to surrender on April 4, lashed out at Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday."Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday."Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump.Trump did not elaborate on why he thought Bragg leaked any information from the sealed indictment and did not provide any evidence to prove his claim. READ FULL STORYTough times in the Trump press lineAn Associated Press journalist found an ingenious way to work while waiting in line to secure a press seat at former President Donald Trump's arraignment. Bobby Calvan put an old pizza box on top of a rusty garbage can to create a makeshift desk, per a tweet by his colleague Mike Sisak, also an AP reporter.—Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 3, 2023   Trump is slated to be arraigned tomorrow in New York. Calvan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina warns that we might be on the 'eve of destruction' the night before Trump's arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on April 03, 2023 in New York City.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesJoe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, likened the night before Trump's arraignment to the "eve of destruction."In an interview on Monday on Fox News, Tacopina — who is representing Trump in New York — said he could not believe that the ex-president was going to be arraigned on Tuesday."What's extraordinary is that tomorrow is actually happening, that's what's extraordinary. I just cannot believe it, I  think we're on the eve of destruction. It's just like surreal to me," Tacopina said.Tacopina's words on Fox News were similar to the ominous sentiment expressed in Trump's previous Truth Social posts. On March 23, Trump predicted that there would be "death & destruction" if he is indicted. Trump on March 18 also called on his followers to protest" and "take our nation back," echoing his own rhetoric before the January 6 Capitol riot.READ FULL STORYThe arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rulesFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night.Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere."Read Full StoryThe supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this eveningTaisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap.She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing.""The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this."She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight.Supporters are flying in to support TrumpReutersArlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment.The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city."I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president."Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City."Too many people."The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance."We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said.Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023.(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Trump is in New York City ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday. The arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rulesFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night.Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere." The supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this eveningTaisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap.She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing.""The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this."She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight.Supporters are flying in to support TrumpReutersArlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment.The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city."I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president."Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City."Too many people."The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance."We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said.Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023.(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  Trump is in New York City ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday. Trump has arrived at Trump TowerTrump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment —Liam Quigley (@_elkue) April 3, 2023 Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streetsPolice trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms.El Calabrese/InsiderNYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city.Read MoreTrump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.'Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023.AP Photo/Evan VucciThe former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court.Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media.Read Full StoryThe NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk)An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s.Interim Archives/Getty ImagesHours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment.But the park — just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan — wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start.Keep ReadingThe only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himselfFormer U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty ImagesThe indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full StoryTrump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on TuesdayTrump and his Boeing 757.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty ImagesDonald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements.The 757 airliner — which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it — left West Palm Beach.Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday.Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignmentFormer President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. — hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported.Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former presidentDonald Trump and John Bolton.Evan Vucci/Associated PressFormer national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case.Read Full StoryChris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approachesChris Christie.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty ImagesFormer New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary.A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.Read Full StoryTrump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judgeJoe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him.Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge."Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full StoryFormer Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formaly announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump last week, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. Former Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictmentGov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaFormer Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formaly announced that his is running for president on Sunday.Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry."When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network.Read Full StoryTrump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: pollFormer President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisGetty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment.Read Full StoryTrump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. Trump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report saysFormer President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency.The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan — or New York County — is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs.Read Full StoryTrump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman saysNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment."There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization."Read Full StoryMichael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels paymentDonald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March.Mary Altaffer/APMichael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday."It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this."There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full StoryDonald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictmentFormer President Donald Trump.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDonald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 — rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 — an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full StoryTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. Trump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign saysDonald Trump.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday.The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt."The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full StoryTrump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts sayFormer President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison.The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none.But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.Keep ReadingCan Trump still run for president after being indicted?Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime.A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full StoryWhat is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was chargedPeople demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment.Alan Chin for InsiderA Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history.So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice.Read Full StoryTrump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. Trump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reportsGetty/Drew AngererTrump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post.Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles t0ld Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail?The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison.Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties — including a hefty fine, community service, and probation — in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted.Read Full StoryMeet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal caseJudge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch.REUTERS/Jane RosenbergFollowing his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan.Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers.Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges.Trump isn't fond of the judge.Read Full StoryTrump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea dealDonald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way.Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policiesSen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution.The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals.Read Full StoryIvanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictmentIvanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country.Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern."Read Full StoryManhattan DA office blasts House RepublicansManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.AP Photo/Seth WenigManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump."Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added.Keep ReadingTrump's indictment kickstarts a round of memesPresident Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhile the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep ReadingTrump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests sayFormer President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke.Read MoreTrump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Micahel Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, making him the first former president to be criminally charged. Donald Trump.José Luis Villegas/AP Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.  The news sparked a frenzied reaction from Trump and his allies ahead of a likely arraignment next week. Trump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interviewFormer President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023.NBC Today show/TwitterNBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself.Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard.He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice."Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen."He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics.Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made historyFormer President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023.Evan Vucci/APIt's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president.Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in.Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne.Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying.Trump raged at being "INDICATED" — seemingly not noticing his typo — and is said to have been shoring up his support since.He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said.You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops.Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNNThen-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona.He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter.People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look goodA Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China.Screenshot/WeiboThe indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" — a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US.The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies."Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy.  READ FULL STORYTrump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reportsFormer US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021.Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post.The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORYNew York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: PoliticoFormer President Donald Trump.Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported.Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4.The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORYMichael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal'Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer."But Cohen — who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider — also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too."Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORYMike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictmentThen-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally.Zach Gibson/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Mike Pence — who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot — found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORYLindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indictedSen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page.Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty ImagesSouth Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted."But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity."Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORYStormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels.Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAdult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday."Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORYTrump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly"These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury — but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE."In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury."These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORYTrump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictmentTrump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesCurrent and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition."The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORYWhat we know so farDemonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald TrumpAlan Chin/InsiderReporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full StoryDeSantis says Florida won't help extradite TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRepublican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so — rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full StoryTrump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: reportThough the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment.Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quietPresident Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesGiven the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible.Read Full StoryThe indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraignedA source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictmentDonald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021.Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty ImagesTrump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment.In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros — a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg.Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump.Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence."Read Full StoryStormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictmentStormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018.Markus Schreiber/APAdult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump.Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system."Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full StoryWrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictmentIn 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger.He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park.Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma."Read Full StoryTrump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictmentFormer President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023.AP Photo/Alex BrandonFormer President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE."Read Full StoryBragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrenderA spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening."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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York TimesFormer President Donald TrumpBrendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesTrump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks,  according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep ReadingTrump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution'Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP PhotoFormer President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him — the first former president in American history to face criminal charges."A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us."Read Full StoryTrump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirmsDonald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina.A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment—Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) March 30, 2023 Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified'Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors.Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesMichael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law."He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office.Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump.Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears."Read Full StoryFox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indictedFox News host Jesse WattersJohn Lamparski/Getty ImagesFox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment.But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening."It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five."As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself."He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history.Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination.Read Full StoryDonald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US historyFormer President Donald TrumpJoe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider.His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment.Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated.Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictmentAdult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed."—Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) March 15, 2023Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Micahel Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign.Read Full StoryRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

     Transcript: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~… Read More The post Transcript: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO appeared first on The Big Picture.      Transcript: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is Masters in Business with Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg Radio. BARRY RITHOLTZ, HOST, MASTERS IN BUSINESS: I am super excited about this week’s Masters in Business Live with Vanguard Group CEO Tim Buckley. If you recall pre-pandemic, we had started doing these live events. The first one was with Ray Dalio, and then we did one with Howard Marks, and then everything closed down and we kind of put it on hiatus. Well, they’re back. Masters in Business Live is back, and this one with the CEO of the Vanguard Group was really quite wonderful. It was at the big ETF exchange conference in Miami that was held last weekend. I got to sit with Tim for about an hour and ran through about 45 minutes’ worth of questions, and we took some questions from the audience. If you remember about five years ago, when it was announced that he was going to be CEO, we did 10 questions with Tim Buckley, and I’ll link to that in the description of the podcast. This completes my set. I have now interviewed all four Vanguard CEOs for Masters in Business, Jack Bogle, Jack Brennan, Bill McNabb, and now Tim Buckley. Really quite a fascinating conversation, a tour de force. With no further ado, my Masters in Business Live discussion with the Vanguard Group CEO Tim Buckley. So let’s talk a little bit about what we have going on right now. You’ve been at Vanguard for over 30 years. MORTIMER “TIM” BUCKLEY, CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, VANGUARD: Yup. RITHOLTZ: You’ve been CEO for five years. How’s it going? BUCKLEY: It’s been a learning time, and it’s been a growth time is what I would say, Barry. It’s been, you know, an incredible opportunity. If you think about what Vanguard is all about, we sit there each and every day, figuring out how do we help people retire better, put their kids through college, afford that dream home? I think everyone in the audience agree, it’s been a tough few years for investors and that’s the time to rally. And certainly for us, that has been a time to show up and answer the bell for our clients. And so it’s been a real rewarding time. It may seem odd to say that, but a really rewarding time. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk a little bit about your unusual career path. You come out of Harvard undergraduate, and you essentially get a job as like a gofer for Jack Bogle. You’re his — BUCKLEY: Yeah. Well, I was lackey to the lackey, really. He had — RITHOLTZ: So you’re weren’t working for Jack. You’re working for Jack’s guy? BUCKLEY: Well, I suppose you’re working for him, but I really was working for Jim Norris who was his assistant. We worked together for Jack Bogle. I reported to Jack Bogle. I found out later I had the title of Chairman’s intern, and found out I had that title because they weren’t sure I was going to make it through the summer. So I come out of undergrad as Chairman’s intern, I thought that was my title for good. After the summer, they changed that. I found out, well, if you made it — RITHOLTZ: Oh, you have a job. BUCKLEY: — you have a job. I didn’t know what was going to happen if the intern part didn’t work out. But I was lucky to find Vanguard. RITHOLTZ: Why? BUCKLEY: Well, coming out of school and, look, my oldest is a junior in school now. So I’m sure he’ll face this. But I was the typical senior and I was a little lost, coming out of school. I’m the son of a heart surgeon, and I grew up with someone who had a ton of purpose in his life. I mean, Barry, like saving lives on a daily basis, that gives you a little bit of purpose. RITHOLTZ: Right. BUCKLEY: And I was lost and I wasn’t going to go into medicine. Look, I didn’t have the steady hands for it and I didn’t have the stomach for hospitals. And I love business, I love the markets, I want to go there. I was a bit struggling. I was trying to find a place with the same type of purpose, and I was thinking maybe I need to go back into medicine. My father said to me at that time, save lives or help people live better lives, anything else and you’re wasting your time. And — RITHOLTZ: No pressure? BUCKLEY: No. But he said you don’t need to go into medicine for that, and then he actually suggests I go to talk this company Vanguard. RITHOLTZ: Really? That was your father’s suggestions? BUCKLEY: Yeah. He said, hey, reach out to Vanguard. And I was fortunate to come down and interview at Vanguard. And, look, it’s love at first sight. I mean it was a company owned by its clients with a clear purpose to really give them a fair shake and provide them with a better future. And 32 years later, here we sit. RITHOLTZ: What was it like working for Jack Bogle right out of school? I mean, clearly, Vanguard wasn’t the Vanguard we know today 30 years ago, but it had to be a little intimidating. BUCKLEY: Well, maybe I should have said I was both lost and a little clueless. I mean, remember, this is 1991, you’re coming out, this is pre-Internet. I mean, really, no one knows who Vanguard is. So my friends really thought Vanguard was an airline. RITHOLTZ: Which it was. BUCKLEY: Yeah. A second guess would have been a healthcare company. And you know, I used to have to describe it as the Pennsylvania version of our Boston competitor, and so people didn’t know Vanguard wasn’t the firm it is today. And then Jack Bogle, like, he wasn’t a household name. So I didn’t show up intimidated, I showed up curious. And you know, I asked a ton of questions. And he’s a guy that, look, wanted to teach a lot. And if you were willing to listen, you’d learn a lot. RITHOLTZ: So Bill McNabb was the CEO during the financial crisis. And when I spoke with him, he talked about how that created both challenges and opportunities for Vanguard. You’re the CEO during the pandemic COVID lockdown. What sort of challenges — BUCKLEY: A couple of bear markets. RITHOLTZ: Right. BUCKLEY: We’ve had, let’s see, inflation at a 40-year high, tightest labor market of our lifetimes. But, yeah, other than that, it’s been easy time. RITHOLTZ: So what sort of challenges and opportunities have the past five years presented? BUCKLEY: I think it’s one huge lesson for us, and it’s brought out in our leadership team. Great leaders, you’ve got to embrace your reality. You can’t be an optimist or a pessimist. You just have to embrace the facts in front of you, brutal as they may be. And that’s what we learned throughout this, and you have to plot the best path forward. And maybe if you’d hear me humor, if we will go back to the kind of the first time we talked and you go back to that time, because Vanguard had been gone through a decade of incredible success, great growth, and look, our fund performance had been top notch, if you went back to that time, and our Net Promoter Scores were really, high cash flow outpacing the industry. So all signs were great. We had a wonderful opportunity in front of us. We looked at client success, it was defined by the funds they hold, but also by the advice they got from us. And for 40 years, like, we’ve been hammering away at the fund side. We have lowered the cost of investing, and we have improved the quality of those funds. And you know, dare I say we made a change in the industry. Well, we started to think that maybe we could actually do that on the advice side. Maybe we could be the Vanguard of advice, because we had this PAS Group, the Personal Advisor Services that had some early success. So we sat down and said, okay, like, could we build another engine of value? Engine 1 being in funds, and Engine 2 being advice. And if we could do that, that’d be wonderful. So right before doing that, right after we talked, we like looking at our competitive position, do it constantly, and we call it, hey, let’s embrace the brutal facts. We looked at the foundation of our position, and it wasn’t as good as we thought it was. In fact, we’re low cost leader. But at that time, we weren’t. If you looked at our ETF assets, at that time, less than half of them actually would have been considered lowest cost in the industry. Our NPS scores were high, but they were declining because of an antiquated digital experience. We were losing market share in the critical retirement, the 401(k) business. Internationally, we were spread too thin. We were serving institutional clients that weren’t core to who we are. We’re all about the individual investor. So we looked at those and said, well, we got to address those and we want to build this new engine of value with advice. Great. Awesome. That seemed like enough. And then COVID hit. We had a choice to make at that point, and the choice was, do we just delay everything and play defense, or do we just add the pandemic to our list of brutal facts? We chose the latter and said, we have no idea how long this is going to go on, but we owe it to our clients to emerge from it stronger and better than when we went in. And we had prioritized all our strategic plans, we had to figure out how to get them done while people were remote. It forced us to make some tough choices in that time in some big investments, whether we were building out our advice capabilities and building virtual teams to do it, or you know, tough choices in our retirement business. We had to rebuild it soup to nuts. And we partnered with Infosys, but that meant 1,300 crew went and worked for Infosys. But it meant we could triple the resources that we had, you know, focused on our retirement business. We looked in our personal investor, our direct business and said, we have to organize it differently and we have to modernize that digital experience. And tough decision overseas, we basically pulled back from Asia. It was all institutional clients. And we gave back $125 billion in assets, which most people think is crazy. RITHOLTZ: Billion with a B. BUCKLEY: $125 billion. RITHOLTZ: Wow. BUCKLEY: They were all institutional separate accounts. That’s not what we do here and gave it back to them. That’s not where we’ll excel. And you know, it’s just not what makes us tick. It’s a little tangent here. Like, we were managing money for people for a basis point and a half, and then they’re going ahead and charging 70 basis points. Like, that’s not why we get out of bed, right? We want to see an investor have a better return as a result. So make those tough choices and, you know, five years later, we’re sitting a lot better off. RITHOLTZ: Whatever you identified as a structural fault line, how far along do you feel you are in the process of, hey, we’re here, we want to end up there? Are you halfway there, most of the way there? How do you tackle those? BUCKLEY: We talked about just getting started. But you know, it’s one of those things that as a leader, you don’t think about like, well, here’s the finish line and then I’m done. It’s how far can you push it and get the next team ready to take over and continue that journey. But for us, you know, we measure our success in different ways. We measure our success by how are our funds doing, and we look back long-term performance. And right now, you look back over 10 years, our active funds, 94 percent are outperforming their competitive group averages, 68 percent are outperforming their benchmarks. If you look at that ETF low cost leadership space, I believe 86 percent of our assets would now be considered lowest cost. So we can actually have that low cost title back, if you will. If you kind of continue on to that advice journey that we had, for us, we’re just thankful. The last time we talked, we have about $80 billion in advice assets. That sits at about $350 billion. RITHOLTZ: Out of $7.2 trillion? BUCKLEY: Out of $7.2 trillion, but it’s growing at 15 percent to 20 percent a year. And there are 650,000 clients that hit the bottom of the market last year, 80 percent of them are still right on target with their goals. And for advice, for us, too, is also a matter of you think about advisors, how are we using model portfolios to make their result better? Are we making sure that they have the right products from Vanguard to actually complement what they do, the right practices? Being in the advice business ourselves, we can help improve their practices, justify the advice that they give, justify the fee. And you know, just simple things like, hey, the value of tax loss harvesting, how do you make that apparent to people? Something that, for us, save our clients about $300 million in four months, that alone. And our digital experience, you’re asked about that, that one I can tell you how far along we are in modernizing that. We’re about 75 percent of the way in doing that, and so great change. RITHOLTZ: So you mentioned the pandemic was a little bit of a challenge. Everybody is working remote for a long time. How do you maintain corporate culture with 20,000 18,000 employees, when the vast majority of them are not coming into the office? BUCKLEY: I think it’s tough for every company out there, when you’ve hired thousands of people who have never set foot on a campus and you often model the behavior in a culture. And so the first thing for us is in the leaders that you actually select and that’s so crucial for us. So in our screening, you get odd interview questions. We’re trying to figure out, are you purpose-driven? Like, are you actually someone who is going to be purpose-driven? But then we have something that I learned from one of my mentors, you’ve talked with Jack Brennan before, our former Chairman and CEO, and he always established this early on in the culture, that it would be client, crew, self, always in that order. And a lot of companies will say that, like, he will put the client first. But, like, we don’t have another choice. Our clients own us. We don’t have anyone else to serve. And then during the pandemic, it’s been clear to us like, yeah, but the only way we can mess that up is if people start putting themselves in front of the client. And so the leaders there, we have to say, okay, we have to enforce it. It’s always the client first. And as a leader then, that means that you have to take care of the crew before yourself. So we emphasize that wholly, that leaders are going to actually make sure that crew know that they care more about their success than their own. So, for me, it’s more important to see my team success than Tim Buckley’s success. And it’s amazing how that helps build a team if you’re true behind it, and it builds the collaboration on that team. And then down the road is somewhere where you put yourself, but that is a core to our culture. We’re able to do it in a virtual world. But now that people are basically back for three days a week, it’s a lot easier to reinforce it. And people do see it when they’re actually face to face. RITHOLTZ: So back three days a week, home optional two days a week, how does that structure change what you expect people to do when they actually come to the office? BUCKLEY: Yeah. So I’m sure a lot of people have been through this, where they come into the office and we had it. First, when people came into the office and they were on Teams when they were in the office. So what we’re finding is — RITHOLTZ: Doing Zoom calls? BUCKLEY: Yeah. We’re finding, like, okay, they come into the office, they say hello to each other, they sit down on their desk, and they go on video all day long. Well, that defeats the purpose of actually those serendipitous moment, we’re bumping into each other, trading ideas. You’re sitting in a conference room, you’re talking with each other, building on everyone’s points, if you’re on Teams. We said, why is that? Well, it was because not everyone was coming in, and you still had some people at home, or you didn’t want to travel from building to building. We have a nice campus and not everyone wanted to travel. And we just said, no, actually, when you’re here, like, first, everyone got to be here. And then, secondly, when you’re here, we expect you to actually interact with each other, not on Teams. And you want to see that Team’s usage drop in the middle of the week and go up on the tail ends because Monday and Friday are the virtual days. So we actually had to establish that norm that people have gotten so used to using Teams all the time in the middle of the week. We had to move people away from it. RITHOLTZ: So let’s stick with the leadership theme, and you come to the CEO row with a unique leadership background. You used to describe yourself as CIO squared. You were chief investment officer and chief information officer, an unusual combination, and then to be elevated to CEO. How does that background affect how you think about the role of chief executive officer? BUCKLEY: Yeah. I think for every CEO, you need perspective, and I think both the CIO jobs gave me incredible perspective. The first one, I became CIO right at the tail end of the Internet craze. I was on the web and then took over as chief information officer. And that was a time of incredible hype, right? The Internet is going to change the world. Oh my gosh, it will change how we actually consume, you know, video, how we game, how we do business. And everyone was talking about that ’99, 2000. You remember that well, and then it didn’t happen right away, and everyone ended up disappointed. We know what happened over the long run. You know, back then we used to talk about something that I’ve tried to bring back for people, which is that Gartner Hype Cycle, if you remember it. And that Gartner Hype Cycle is something where whenever there’s a disruptive technology that it comes in, there’s a lot of hype and high expectations, so unrealistic expectations, followed by something doesn’t happen, you have disillusionment. You have the trough of disillusionment, and people give up on it. But the true change comes when, hey, you know what, those loyal to that technological change figure out over not one, two, but three, five years, how to drive change and how to leverage it. And that’s been true through time. It was true whether it’s with the Internet, you can cloud it with mapping the genome with EVs. And it’s true in investments, where you have to look at change and you know, people will talk today about, okay, a private equity is some magic elixir. Like, I can just get private equity into my clients’ portfolios. It’s not true. I mean, private equity, there’s greater return dispersion, but the returns on private equity are often below the S&P 500, or on average. So you’ve got to do your work. You’ve got to see through and say, okay, well, that means that I need to keep fees low and I have to get with the right GPS, et cetera. And so you can drive, you can figure out where’s that long-term change going? So those two jobs give you a perspective for, okay, avoid that hype and how do you see through the long-term change that you want, that you think you should drive home. They’re probably different in how you embrace change. And I think the world is always changing, right? So that’s a dangerous thing. Like, how people code, where you host something, all of those things, you know, how applications talk to each other, those have totally changed since I was CIO. But if you think in investments, like, there are more rules in there. Like that proven investment philosophy of diversification, that’s not going to change overnight. So you have to be more careful in the investment world. And, hey, both of those give me a balance as CEO. RITHOLTZ: So Vanguard now has a hardcore tech geek as CEO. How has that affected the company? How has that affected how you approach the use of technology in the world of investing? BUCKLEY: Yeah, Look, thanks for calling me a tech geek. I’ll take that as a compliment. RITHOLTZ: That’s how it’s meant. BUCKLEY: Yeah. Look, for us, technology is the embodiment of our service. We’ve always been a virtual company, just used to be through the mail and 1-800 number when I joined. So it’s always been that way for us. So this needs to be a necessary area of investment. And I mentioned this, when you lead with technology, what can happen to you is if you don’t continually make the investment, you fall behind, because it gets so costly to address your legacy. It becomes an albatross. Kind of your legacy applications, they become a burden and they slow you down, and they slow down what you can do for your clients. We made the choice of, you know, we’re going to eliminate that legacy. And a few years ago, we said whether you’re investing directly, whether your investing through an advisor, whether you’re investing through retirement plan, the platforms that we deal with, our service infrastructure, our investment infrastructure, cloud native. So we’ve rebuilt. We’re about 74 percent of the way through of rebuilding all our applications to be cloud native. Now, that sounds cool. Like, what does it give you? It builds up your resiliency but your speed. And I’ll give you an example, maybe the team won’t love that I’ll use this one. But we launched a mobile app last year, right? It fell flat on its face, the mobile app. Like, it was panned. Our clients hated the mobile app. And in the past, when you did that, well, you had to live with it. Like, you’d have to wait for nine months to fix the problem. But because it was built cloud native, that meant you could make changes to it. You can make the changes every two, three days. And so we did 200 releases to it in nine months. And that app has gone way past the satisfaction ratings, client satisfaction ratings of the past one. It continues to grow. And so being cloud native can give you incredible speed. Resiliency last year, our availability, you’ll never get a good article written when you have high availability. You just want to avoid the bad ones. We’re 99.97 percent available for our client application. So that’s a number I hadn’t seen before. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk a little bit about fees. The Vanguard effect has been well documented, not just the spaces that you’re in. It forced everybody else to be more fee competitive. But even spaces you first start looking at, immediately has a ripple effect and fees drop. How much lower can Vanguard push fees? Half of my portfolio, is it 3 BPS? BUCKLEY: Oh, how about 2? RITHOLTZ: Okay. But aren’t you going to run out of room eventually? BUCKLEY: Well, the way we’re built, being client owned, it’s the way we return profits to our clients. RITHOLTZ: That’s the dividend. BUCKLEY: That’s the dividend that we pay out, is to lower that expense ratio. And it’s how we’re built and those are economies of scale. Every year, just like any other company, we have our expenses that includes kind of the big investments we’re making in the business. And we have a revenue line. You know, we’ve had been lucky, it’s been very profitable year after year. Well, what do you do with that? Number one, you put it back into the business. There’s plenty of capital to put back into the business if it’s projects that will meet your cost of capital. So you do that. You have to make sure you have enough liquidity reserves, so if there’s a big bear market, you want to protect your investments, et cetera, risk event. But then other companies will retain earnings. They’ll pay a dividend, will go to a family. What we do is we say, okay, with that capital, we’ll give it back to our clients in the form of lower expenses. And it’s been a pretty powerful cycle, and that’s why year after year, we’re able to kind of lower expense ratio. So I mentioned Jack Brennan, I bumped into him in the hall the other day. He stepped down as the CEO in 2008. And he said, Tim, when I joined Vanguard, our expense ratio was 88 basis points. RITHOLTZ: 88? BUCKLEY: 88. And it’s, you know, less than a 10th of that now. RITHOLTZ: Wow. That’s pretty impressive. So — BUCKLEY: So many industries where you actually are getting more and pay dramatically less. RITHOLTZ: And this has been the history of the firm from day one. This is the core of Jack Bogle’s philosophy. A lot of people think it’s all about passive, but Jack began as an active manager. You’re now about 20 percent active at Vanguard. Tell us a little bit about what you guys are doing on the active side of asset management. BUCKLEY: It’s a funny fact. I’ve been there 32 years I joined Vanguard and index is only 10 percent of our assets. RITHOLTZ: You were 90 percent active? BUCKLEY: Yeah, 90 percent active. So we were an active firm — RITHOLTZ: Right. BUCKLEY: — when I joined Vanguard. And it’s evolved over time to be 80 percent index. We firmly believe in active. We firmly believe in low cost active. But its place in the portfolio has changed. If you think about it, for most clients, it’s an index at the core. If you have the risk appetite for active, it’s going to play much more of a satellite. And so as we look at it, we look towards strategies, well, maybe it’s the same, a little bit higher. You’d hope for information ratio, but you have a bigger risk budget or standard deviation. So you look for more excess return. So that plays for a better complement to the index portfolio. Now, how do we think about active managers? People talk about, well, yes, people, philosophy and process. You’ll go through all of those. But we found the best way to evaluate. One is make sure that they can tell you what their edge is. What is their active edge? And it has to be one that can’t be easily duplicated in the market. Because in a zero sum game, right, where you’re competing with other managers, you want an edge that nobody else has. So you can’t just say we have smart people and they collaborate well with technology, right? Everybody got smart people and everyone got great technology. You can’t just say, you know what, we think differently. We want you to prove it. So how do you think differently? So you’ve talked with the leaders of Baillie Gifford, like, where do they hire from? Well, they don’t hire from business schools, right? They’ll hire military intelligence officers and have them work actually in (inaudible) and with someone else, and they keep them in pods or teams that they work together, but they don’t collaborate. They don’t want group things. They don’t let them work with other groups. And then you measure, do they truly keep that edge of differentiated thinking? We do it to ourselves, our active fixed income group against super smart people, supported by great technology. But what’s that edge that no one else can duplicate in there? It comes from our structure. If you think about the fact that we’re client-owned, so we’re delivering as close to at costs as possible. We’re going to be a lower fee than almost everybody out there. That means a low hurdle rate. So we do that. Well for us, that means that you’re not getting paid to take risk when spreads are tight like right now. But don’t take a lot, you don’t have to. You don’t have to take that extra spread or go out in credit quality and take extra risks there. Because, look, you have a low expense ratio. You can be higher quality, and you’ll equal or maybe fall behind just a little bit, and you’ll keep a lot of dry powder. And so then when you have spreads wide now, you know, dislocations in the marketplace, you have plenty of dry powder and you deploy it. And with that strategy, you will outperform over the long run. And I mentioned that 10-year performance, if you look at our active fixed income, I believe 98 percent of the funds have outperformed their competition over the long run, so their competitive group average. And straight up, the number is huge. So it’s a differentiated way. but we measure it, like, do they truly deploy that dry powder? Do they take advantage of it? RITHOLTZ: So you mentioned Baillie Gifford, I bet a lot of people here in the states don’t know them, been around for a century in the U.K., if not longer, highly regarded, great track record. I want to put that in context of leadership. You’re reaching out to, I guess, not a competitor but a peer, saying, how can we get better? How often does that occur? What sort of strategies do you put into place? How often are you saying, hey, let’s sit down and talk shop? BUCKLEY: With our outside managers or with outside firms? RITHOLTZ: You know, Baillie Gifford is a great entity. BUCKLEY: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: They were managing money for one of the public pensions for — BUCKLEY: Yeah, so we have a team who are constantly out there looking for who could be great outside managers. And they will look for that active edge, look for that differentiation. And they’re constantly out there so that if there’s an opportunity that pops up in a fund, or there’s an idea for a fund, that we actually have a list that we can go to right off of people that we respect and that we could work with. And then working with Vanguard, you know, one of the differentiators is that we’re so long term. We have such a long-term focus that they truly can have a low turnover and stick with an idea and not worry, hey, they’re underperforming for two years. Like, we’re going to move on from them. So we’re probably a lot more patient, but at the same time, you know, highly educated in the questions we ask. RITHOLTZ: So you joined the leadership team in 2001, which is, you know, a decade — BUCKLEY: All right. We’re going back now. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. — a decade into your career. That’s a pretty fast advancement. I assume you were relatively young compared to the rest of the leadership team. How do you get from that entry to senior management? What was the career path like from there? BUCKLEY: Yeah, I was young and over my head. RITHOLTZ: Really? BUCKLEY: Oh, yeah. And definitely, I mean, I had been running the web and that was enough for me. You know, unfortunately, back then, our CIO suddenly passed away, and Jack Brennan asked me to step in and lead our technology group. It was a surprise choice for everyone, and it was a surprise for me. And I remember talking to him about it, pushing back a little bit like, you know, look, I don’t have the IT background that other people would have. And he said to me, Tim, I’m not asking you to code, I’m asking you to lead. And then he went through the competencies that you would expect me to bring to the table and how I can bring our IT division to the next level. That stuck with me. A couple of things stuck with me, it was the importance of competencies and developing those competencies in people, and the importance of taking risk in the development of people. Another thing that occurred to me probably a year later, and that was that we’re big believers in doing 360s on people, so getting feedback. Every leader should go out and get feedback not just from their boss, but from their peers and those people on their teams. So I did a 360. And you know, it always starts off with your strengths and where you’re doing well and say like, oh, gosh, you know, Tim is strategic and he’s got drive and he gets results, and collaborative, and love and everything. Then you get down to, okay, here’s what his weaknesses where he needs to work. And you know, the bottom was patience and we can come back to that some other time. RITHOLTZ: Right. You need the patience to look at that. BUCKLEY: Yeah, I know and it’s still a weakness. But second from the bottom was developing talent. Man, I was stung because I realized that I had been a taker all this time, not a giver. RITHOLTZ: And you had been mentored by Jack Brennan? BUCKLEY: Of course, yeah, by Jack Brennan, and Bill McNabb, and Mike Miller, and you know, all these people through time, who had taken an interest in my career. And they took an interest in my career and when people asked about me, I hadn’t done as much. Now, there might have been one or two people that said I was the best thing that happened to their career. But by and large, I hadn’t done enough. And so I spent the next, you know, 22 years, saying, okay, well, how do I develop talent? And I would tell you that, for me, my proudest moments at Vanguard are when someone that I’ve mentored ends up on our senior leadership team. And fully half of that team, I can say I had a hand in mentoring them along. So it takes concerted effort. And for a leader, there’s nothing more rewarding because that’s the way you have exponential impact. If you can pass on your lessons and someone else builds on them, and they teach them to somebody else, that’s where a leader can have true impact. RITHOLTZ: How does a company of the size of Vanguard institutionalize that sort of mentoring, leadership, grooming, bringing up the next generation, getting people to reach outside their comfort zone and become better colleagues, workers and eventually leaders? BUCKLEY: At every leadership level, we do talent oversight. You should know your teams, and you’ll know your leader. Everyone will know their leadership team, people in their group, where they’re strong, their competencies, where they need to develop. And we constantly rotate talent to develop them and — RITHOLTZ: Rotate? BUCKLEY: Rotate. RITHOLTZ: How do you rotate talent? BUCKLEY: Well, look, I mean, the same way that I was rotated between, you know, what would be corporate area to a service area, to an IT, to investments, and you give up your best talent. And it’s odd. Most companies don’t it. You want to hold on to your best talent. But at Vanguard, you’re rewarded when you give up your best talent and make sure they develop. And how do you develop them? We rotate people based off of their competencies. Think of them as buckets that you need to fill. And it may be, okay, well, what someone’s vision and strategic thinking, and it might be how well they know operations management. How good are they developing crew? These are buckets that you’re trying to fill along the way. You can’t fill them all in one job or with one boss. Some bosses will be better than others. So if we understand those about our people, then we rotate, we know what the next one or two or three rotations will be. And we do it around their competencies. As we rotate them, there’s a give-up. Someone loses their expertise in a role. But what they’re gaining is context. They’re gaining context and becoming a better leader, better decision-maker. It’s a system you have to balance because you can’t have everyone rotate to a new area. You have to keep institutional knowledge and really sandwich people like experience on the top, experience on the bottom, and you end up with someone fresh in the middle. RITHOLTZ: So you mentioned Bill McNabb, who was your predecessor, as well as Jack Brennan, his predecessor. BUCKLEY: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Those are two rock star finance CEOs. What’s it like for you as a CEO, still having access to their expertise and experience? You said you just bumped into Brennan — BUCKLEY: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: — as always. Tell us a little bit about how you use the legacy of former CEOs who are still around? BUCKLEY: And how cool it is, I mean, two very different leaders and two fabulous mentors and great friends, both of them. And they have a different way to see the world and see leadership. And I would encourage everyone out there that often people come into a role, oh, I got to put my imprimatur on there. I can’t talk to the past leaders. Look, whenever we make a big decision at Vanguard, I talked about some of them. I would actually talk to Bill and talk to Jack. First, I would understand, you know, why didn’t we make this decision before? How do we get to this point? They would give me the historical context. And often they’d give you information that, oh, I didn’t think about that. You might adjust, you might not. And they are accessible. They made us leave our phones backstage, but I could text right now. You got yours? I could take bill right now. He’ll get back to me in five minutes. But neither one will ever reach out to me and — RITHOLTZ: Really? BUCKLEY: — give me unsolicited advice. RITHOLTZ: They’re not like, hey, Tim, what are you doing? BUCKLEY: Oh. RITHOLTZ: This is a mistake. BUCKLEY: This is one way. If I reach out to them, they get back to me. But they don’t reach out and go, hey, what are you thinking about? Why did you do that for? You know, it’s great. You know, I mentioned that tough decision on the retirement business. Both them said, hey, we should have done that earlier. RITHOLTZ: Really? BUCKLEY: And so it’s reinforcing to have that. And we’re lucky and they’re proud that we just became in that business, number one and competitive NPS. So that business has totally shifted and turned around. But they were 100 percent behind it. RITHOLTZ: Let’s go back one more CEO, to Jack Bogle, obviously — BUCKLEY: He might give me some unsolicited advice. RITHOLTZ: Well, I was going to say, for sure, he never was shy about sharing his opinion. And clearly, a lot of his philosophy is in the DNA of Vanguard, put the client first, keep costs as low as possible, always try and make the investor better. But when we look at Vanguard today, there’s a lot of things that Jack would have kicked and screamed about. ETFs to begin with, he was not a big fan. Why do we have to invest overseas? American companies participate in that. And then, lastly, the possibility of putting private equity in retirement accounts, he would be furious, I would imagine. BUCKLEY: He pushed back on me on the web, and we’d have good debates on that. Look, I think his vision, though, that’s what was so powerful. And that’s what remains, is this idea of putting the client first and giving them a fair shake. You know, that’s what defines us. People want to define us as a low cost index fund, which Jack Bogle should be and was incredibly proud of. I mean, he brought this idea that existed out there and brought it mainstream. And you know, so many people have done something so much to extend that. But he was the visionary behind indexing for the main street investor. And so we want to remember that, but that’s not all he was. He was that vision of how do you put the client first? How do you let them keep more of their return? So we look at what are other ways to do it, because it started with low cost active, but how do you do it through advice? You know, how do you do it directly advising clients? How do you help advisors become better at what they’re doing so people keep more of the return, to have a better chance of raising the investment success of their clients? So that’s how we define what we do. Private equity is just one of those. In private equity, look, I said it’s not an easy game. First, the average return is typically a little bit below the S&P, and there’s a wide dispersion of returns. So we’re going into that, how do we make sure that our clients are on the right side of that distribution? And you know, relative fees matter and their access matters, and we had to vet all of those. That’s very consistent with the original vision of Vanguard. RITHOLTZ: So let me throw a quote of yours back at you and let you — BUCKLEY: This could be dangerous. RITHOLTZ: — pursue this, quote, “Our clients should not only expect change, but demand change.” Explain that. BUCKLEY: Well, there are our owners, and you never want to be complacent as a business. So as our owners, they should actually demand that we get better and better. And the other one is, look, if a company wants to lead, if you want to lead, you don’t get to set the pace that you’d go out. Now, most people would think that, okay, if you’re the lead, you’re the one setting the pace of the race. But the truth of the matter, no, it’s set by, like, the performance of your competitors, you have to stay ahead of them, and the expectations of your clients. If our clients have high expectations, we will keep our pace high. And we have to exceed both of those year after year. And so we always have to make sure we have the team, the plan and the capabilities to do just that. RITHOLTZ: So before we take questions from the audience, let me ask you, you’ve been at Vanguard for 32 years. You’ve been CEO for just over five years. What’s next? What comes next for the Vanguard Group? BUCKLEY: Hey, Barry, whatever one could expect from us is to continue what we’d find a straightforward but compelling strategy, and it’s to make sure we’re producing the top performing funds, that we have the top performing funds and ETFs out there. We’ll wrap them with low cost, scalable advice, and deliver them on a world-class digitally-enabled platform. Now, it sounds simple to do, but you got to bring those all together. And if you do that well and you can keep improving it, you’ll create value into the future. RITHOLTZ: Good answer. Let’s go to some of the audience questions. The finance industry’s record on diversity is not so great. What is Vanguard doing to lead the industry to a faster change? BUCKLEY: First, you’ve got to have a big goal out there. So for us, we’ll continue to grow the diversity of Vanguard. But by 2028, we’ll put the goal out there that every level of leadership should look just like the rest of Vanguard. And so we looked at that and said that is a goal that is attainable, but you need to have a distinct strategy around it. So we have a chief diversity officer that works with all of our division heads to make sure that we have the right strategy, the right practices around how we do, you know, attraction and retention, but critically development. You bring people in, you’ve worked hard recruiting, but you making sure they’re developing in the way that we talked about. And success for us in the past five years, we’ve seen, you know, both our diversity in our leadership go up 6 percentage points. RITHOLTZ: So I like this question, what’s one of the biggest lessons you learned in how to develop that talent? BUCKLEY: You’ve, you got to figure out how to be candid. And people shy from giving people feedback, and everyone wants it. It never feels good, so you have to figure out how will someone receive that feedback. And you’ve got to make it about getting them to the next level. And you can give feedback to anybody if they believe you’re on their side. And so how do you put it in a way that they’re going to say, okay, well, this is to help you get to the next level, one of my observations is, or how can we work on that. And that is a great way to get someone to receive feedback. And then my advice to other people, if you want to develop yourself, something I’ve always done is I asked for feedback. And gosh, that makes it so much easier on a boss. Poor Bill McNabb would do a review and say, hey, great year, Tim. I’m like, all right, tell me what I need to do better. Now tell me, like, what would the team say, and I would stay after him until he gave me something to grow on. And at any level, like, I don’t care what level you’re at, you should have two or three things you can grow on. RITHOLTZ: And you’re asking for feedback even as a CEO? BUCKLEY: I ask for feedback. And I make sure my team, even Greg Davis, a more accomplished CIO, Greg Davis is going to hear where he’s great, but he’s always going to hear, Greg, your next level leadership, here’s what you would work on. And so it’s going to be that for him or for Karin Risi, or for whomever is on the team. RITHOLTZ: What was your biggest career mistake and what did you learn from it? BUCKLEY: Oh, which one do we want to choose here? I would say I got a few of them. But let’s go with conviction. A lesson here that I’ll go back in time that, you know, I mentioned the hype. And I was the web guy, and I was convinced the world was going to change overnight, and online advice was going to take off and aggregation would be a key element of it. And I was selling hard, and we invested a lot of money in it. And nothing happened, right? I remember talking to my boss at that time, he said, I knew that wasn’t going to work out. And I said, well, Jack, why didn’t you say something or do something? And he said, Tim, you had to learn that just having conviction doesn’t make it true. RITHOLTZ: It’s not enough. BUCKLEY: It’s not enough. But I also learned all those things that I have conviction about, like, there’s another lesson there, overtime, you stay with it. Look, digital advice is accepted now and those things. Also, just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean you leave it behind. RITHOLTZ: You know, when we were talking about the things Jack Bogle wouldn’t have loved, I meant to ask you about direct indexing. This is a big new push you guys are doing. BUCKLEY: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Tell us a little bit about that. Does that fit into the sphere of digital, or how does that work within Vanguard? BUCKLEY: We looked at direct indexing years ago. We started thinking about it. What’s a way that you could disrupt the ETF or the mutual fund? Like, you always should be looking is there a better way to do it? And direct indexing existed for a while. It was reserved for the ultra-ultra-high net worth. And we could see that there’s huge tax benefits for a lot of investors in using direct indexing. What we started to see in customization is people care more about the values of how they invest. And could you create portfolios where you’re not going to undermine someone’s retirement, but let them invest the core to their values? And we got very interested and then said, rather than hope that it goes away or doesn’t undermine, why don’t we embrace it and see if we can grow it, and see if it is a better way to do something? And we’ll find out over time, but we’ll be investing heavily in it. RITHOLTZ: And this is our final question, if you could go back to your early days of senior leadership and give yourself a piece of advice, what would that be? BUCKLEY: One, I’ve learned through time and it’s always ask more questions. Fewer statements, more questions. And listen to the answers and encourage the debate. I catch myself still doing it today. I have to do it. And you’re going to learn so much more if you let that team go. And one thing I’ve learned, you’ve always heard, and I grew up with us, you may not be the smartest in the room, Tim, but you can be the hardest working. And that’s how I grew up. And I came to learn something else, which is, you know, even if you think you’re the smartest in the room, you’re never smarter than the whole room. So in time, I’ve learned, okay, like, you were not going to be smarter than the room, how do we bring out the best in that room? How do we get them to collaborate? How do we get them build knowledge on each other? And you’ll produce great things as a team. RITHOLTZ: Wow. That was really quite an hour of fascinating conversation with Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO. If you enjoy this conversation, well, feel free to check out any of our previous 500 discussions we’ve had over the past eight years. You can find that at iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. Sign up for my daily reading list at ritholtz.com. Follow me on Twitter @ritholtz. You can follow all of the Bloomberg family of podcasts on Twitter at podcasts. I would be remiss if I did not thank the crack team that helps us put this conversation together each week. Robert Bragg is our audio engineer. Paris Wald is my producer. Sean Russo is my head of Research. Atika Valbrun is our project manager. I’m Barry Ritholtz. You’ve been listening to Masters in Business on Bloomberg Radio. END   ~~~   The post Transcript: Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO appeared first on The Big Picture......»»

With Bitcoin Integration, Nostr Could Redefine Social Media Authored by 'Stephanie Sats' via BitcoinMagazine.com, Incorporating many of the values inherent in Bitcoin, the Nostr protocol could grow into a social media platform that better serves its users... Despite the rapid rise of Bitcoin-focused conversation happening there, Nostr is not a social medium. Nostr is a social-serving, open protocol intended for liberated speech and communication. The main point of distinction here comes down to this tool’s indifference, at least compared to many popular social platforms. Though the tech is fundamentally different from Bitcoin (more on this later), there’s key overlap: Nostr doesn’t care who you are, whether you follow a set agenda or how often you’ll feed an algorithm with attention. Nostr acts more like aspiring, decentralized tech that may incentivize truth — with the help of Bitcoin. THE CURRENT STATE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Censorship is used to govern and mediate many social media platforms and services. The guardrails in place may feel arbitrary to consumers, prescribing a set of rules that differ from a user’s core values. Incentives are driven by the dollar — by companies run by fiat currency (which is issued by a government, and therefore inextricably tied to it). There’s increasing weariness of algorithms aligned with monetary incentives and the entities running them that own our information. It’s easy for users to lose trust in advertisers and influencers alike, as their motives fuel the platform but remain unclear. I believe this comes down to the role of the user; we’re not always part of the collective that’s building it. And when we do contribute, we may not be profiting fairly — if at all. On traditional social platforms, users who aren’t bothered by censorship may still feel overwhelmed by bots and spam. Others may flock to social platforms for gaming and community support, only to dodge and sift through scam messages. Algorithms are so in sync with our behavior and thought patterns that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate the product from the consumer. We saw these sentiments unfold over the past year with Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and how divisive that was. We’ve seen it in kickback after Meta’s rebrand. Social media can be scary or divisive at best — but despite all of this, we still use it. So, for connection, growth and building… where should we go? Of course, there are quality, encrypted communication platforms which offer more shielded, secure interactions… but I wouldn’t define these as “social networks” either. They often function as vehicles for private, secure communication instead of shared spaces. SO, IS NOSTR THE ‘DECENTRALIZED TWITTER’? First, let’s unpack this a bit and explain what Nostr is and is not, because to think it solves all of the problems of traditional social media may be somewhat naïve. Nostr is for developers. It’s an open-source project for builders that serves as a broadcast platform and content hub aggregate. From the architecture alone, we can start to differentiate it from Twitter or any other existing platform. This protocol is newly, actively developed — so while it tugs at the root of topics like free speech and privacy, the tech itself is in its nascent stages. Nostr aims to decentralize private communications and data while allowing us to interact in new ways. For all of those reasons, we should learn about it — perhaps in the same way some of us should have learned about Meta products before dishing our credentials. WHAT MAKES NOSTR UNIQUE TO BUILDERS? With Nostr, data is stored on relays. Anyone can run their own relay, which acts like a personal server or channel. Users can be in charge of their own relays and run them with very little cost upfront — but more on monetization later. Users can kick people off of their relays, but there are various relays that individuals can join. If a relay owner doesn’t want to host a person’s messages, that user can simply move to another one. This is a key differentiator from censorship on Twitter or Meta, where posts and accounts can be removed or frozen for not conforming to the platform’s centrally-operated rulebook. Any user can build their own client, which is the program or application that hosts messages and information. Clients can be used to access the internet and broadcast posts (or facilitate communication) with the help of public and private keys. Nostr uses cryptographic signatures to keep communications secure; public and private key pairs are used to encrypt and send data. Similar to Bitcoin, the Nostr code functions as a protocol. Yet it’s important to point out that Nostr is not a type of blockchain technology. There’s overlap — these innovations use some similar tools to accomplish different things. Nostr was made so builders can connect with the people they want to and broadcast information, but it’s not the same as a globally-connected, blockchain-based network like Bitcoin — where all nodes have to agree, or come to a consensus. That can work great for something that functions as a currency, but consensus doesn’t have as much of a use in Nostr’s social aspects. They simply use cryptography in different ways. WHAT NOSTR DOES DIFFERENTLY Nostr technology is modeled after a lot of social platforms in terms of what they’re used for: broadcasting information or sentiment to others (in community forums or one-off messages), direct communication and self-expression. Because it is decentralized, Nostr is more censorship resistant because it’s not controlled by one entity, group or company. Nostr can be used for sharing all types of content — ideas, direct messages, blogs, newsletters or even some games. You can think of the Nostr protocol as a “language” for computers to communicate with one another. Instead of a post (“event”) going live via one central server, it’s sent to a specific indicated server(s), and other servers can pull the information from there. Nostr uses queries to store data, and that data is in a JSON format — similar to the social media we know today. But instead of a central server structure like Instagram or Twitter, Nostr is open source and allows for users to choose how and where data is used. With Nostr, you can use your key to connect to or run a public relay to broadcast information, or to focus on smaller, more private communications. There are options, and the main point here is that a lot of these options are in the builders’ hands. Using Nostr doesn’t take up lots of storage for data, either — there’s content, tags and key storage. Nostr is accessible because excessive storage isn’t needed, depending on your goal. Although this might all sound kind of complex because there are new terms and a lot to learn about the protocol, the technology itself is simple — and simpler technologies tend to be easier to scale. Nostr could grow fast, and there are lots of use cases. HOW NOSTR SCALES AND ADAPTS TO OUR SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Because this tech adopts a simpler structure, the “look and feel” differs from social media that tends to automate experience. Engaging Twitter or Instagram involves a transaction of personal information for a smooth, unified (yet prescribed) app interface and user experience (UX) journey. My personal experience using Nostr, as a newbie, helped further confirm just how different this tech is from any social media I’ve used. There are tradeoffs: I felt more self reliant in using my keys to initiate set up, and less concern about data management or corporate greed. On the flipside, the UX as a whole felt unfussy but graceless: a refreshingly no-frills approach to social exchanges. I don’t view this as a positive or negative, per se, but I think some users will have a learning curve (or at the very least, an adjustment from highly-managed and moderated platforms). There’s no Nostr website or customer service to guide them along; it’s grassroots in its reach. This could certainly be a plus for the Bitcoin community, which thrives on mutual education and reciprocity. The lack of bells and whistles eliminates trust, and suggests developments on the individual and community levels. The Nostr community is fledgling, which provides ample opportunity for growth and renewed personal social strategy. There’s also lots of exploring that a creator needs to initiate, since there’s a wide range of relays and clients available. Fewer guideposts can lead to confusion for some, but the tradeoffs are freedom of choice and self-directed learning. As for privacy, users don’t have to give a set of personal identifiers in order to set up an account. This is, of course, a major differentiator for platforms that store, sell, track and centralize your data for corporate profit or control. THE BITCOIN INCENTIVE People are hopeful that Nostr will allow for free speech, resistant-censorship communication and rich community building, which goes hand in hand with the Bitcoin ethos. Not only this, but there could be a monetary component built in parallel to Nostr that’s radically different from how other social networks behave in popular culture today — especially when it comes to centralized algorithms and ad incentives. Since clients can filter material by choice, they may create all sorts of different algorithms to do this. There is potential for monetization of one’s hosted relay by charging fees via the Lightning Network, an especially exciting prospect for many Bitcoiners. Over time, we may see things like Fedimints incorporated in Nostr monetization practices as well. This self-driven monetization structure can have major implications on bots, spam and bad actors in general, both on the user level and protocol level. In the way that Bitcoin’s protocol discourages bad actors by nature of its very code, Nostr developers are actively working to bake security and honest action into its technology. For example, some builders are looking into implementing costs assigned to relays, as a paid model that incentivizes honesty and reliability via proof-of-work models. In this potential design, for someone to send messages, they would have to post collateral in order to do so. This way, if there’s a bad actor, the reward could potentially be retracted as a consequence. Combined, this would allow for a type of social network that focuses more on building instead of censorship or centralized incentive structures. Bitcoiner values (such as sovereignty, privacy and decentralization) and Nostr’s potential monetization structure work hand in hand, and this is why so many Bitcoin hopefuls are actively setting up their own nodes and planning ways to incorporate Nostr into their careers or lifestyles. Nostr speaks to the decentralized communication need that Bitcoin could likely never support on its own, even with Layer 2 scaling — since blockchain technology functions best as a proof-of-work cryptocurrency. Reciprocally, Bitcoin solves the monetary pitfalls that most social media inherits. WHO’S IN CHARGE? Media is material that anyone can share, and it should be up to individuals and communities to regulate materials. For Bitcoiners, this boils down to a recurring conversation around decentralization. Individuals may find themselves abandoning certain familiarities (like regulations or convenience), in order to flourish on the decentralized end of the spectrum. When it comes to social media and communication, it’s up to the individual where to draw that line. Some feel safer relying on a nucleus of control calling the shots, whereas Bitcoiners crave full autonomy despite the fact that they now hold more of the responsibility. Nostr is a new innovation, and there’s a lot to learn. There are aspects you might want to consider about this tech while doing your research and making your own decisions. Since Nostr is not surveilled by any one authority or watchdog, users may need to do more due diligence as they grow comfortable in accepting that responsibility. The Nostr protocol provides a stark, simple contrast to the high levels of censorship and guardrails that we’re used to seeing — which is what makes it an entirely separate entity from “social media” as we know it. Tyler Durden Thu, 02/16/2023 - 14:45.....»»

   The transcript from this week’s, MiB: William Cohan on GE, Lazard, Goldman & Bear, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is… Read More The post Transcript: William Cohan appeared first on The Big Picture.    The transcript from this week’s, MiB: William Cohan on GE, Lazard, Goldman & Bear, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is Masters in Business with Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg Radio. BARRY RITHOLTZ, HOST, MASTERS IN BUSINESS: This week on the podcast, I have an extra special guest, Bill Cohan is a fixture on Wall Street for a long time, both as an investment banker at Lazard Freres and eventually Merrill and JPMorgan Chase, as well as an author. He is one of the co-founders of Puck. He is a writer for Vanity Fair, for the New York Times, for Bloomberg. He’s really well known on the street and puts out a number of fascinating books, arguably a sort of parallel career to Michael Lewis. He’s at Lazard Freres for seven, eight years, and then sometime later writes his version of Liar’s Poker, which is a history of Lazard Freres. His most recent book, Power Failure, about the rise and fall of General Electric is really a fascinating history, with some fun stories and a lot of really interesting gossip throughout it. It’s deeply researched, deeply reported, and really a very enjoyable read. I think you’ll find this conversation quite fascinating; I know I did. With no further ado, my conversation with Bill Cohan, author of Power Failure. William Cohan, welcome back to Bloomberg. WILLIAM D. COHAN, FINANCIAL JOURNALIST, AUTHOR OF POWER FAILURE: Thank you, Barry. It’s great to be here. RITHOLTZ: So, let’s talk a little bit about your career, which began as a reporter, went into M&A banking, and then went back to writing. You start writing for the Raleigh Times. Tell us a little bit about what you were doing there. COHAN: I was doing something I probably should never have been allowed to do, which was write about public education in Wake County, which was fine. I had just graduated from Columbia School of Journalism, getting a master’s in journalism and I’ve done my thesis on public schools in Central Harlem, in the Central Harlem School District. I went to one of the best schools in the district and one of the worst schools in the district, and just sat there for like six weeks and tried to absorb what was going on. And no one had ever done that, I had to get special permission from the Board of Education in Brooklyn back when they still do that. And then I went to Raleigh and covered public schools in Raleigh. But I’ve never been to a public school in my life, other than sitting in the classrooms in Central Harlem. So, it was great, but it was, you know, like anything, a total learning experience. RITHOLTZ: So, you ended up becoming an investment banker. You worked at places like Lazard Freres and Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan. Tell us a little bit about your banking background, what did you do, what sort of deals. By the way, this wasn’t like, I’m going to try this for six months and go back to writing. You did this for 17 years. COHAN: Yeah. And I actually started out of business school. I’ve gone back to Columbia. So, I graduated from business school in 1987 and went to GE Capital for two years, financing leveraged buyouts. And I also spent a year there, working for the chief credit officer at GE Capital, learning all the different business lines at GE Capital. And then I went to Lazard and — RITHOLTZ: So, let’s stay with GE Capital for a minute because they’re going to loom large later. COHAN: Plenty of relevance. Yes. RITHOLTZ: In the ‘80s, they were really a financial arm of GE and a way to facilitate its client base. It seems like in the ‘90s, it evolved into something else. When you were there, was it a financial engineering firm, or was it a more traditional credit finance firm? COHAN: By the time I was there, I had started in the Depression, you know, financing customers — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — purchase of GE’s appliances, right, because credit was hard to come by during those years. RITHOLTZ: Everybody, General Motors had a credit on multi-big manufacturers there. COHAN: A lot of did that. Right. GE had a benefit in over other companies in that regard because they had a AAA credit rating. So, they were able to borrow very cheap, and then lend out expensively. And they were able to arbitrage that credit rating which, of course, Jack Welch did it in spades. And by the time I got there, you know, Jack had been CEO for six years, and he was well into turning GE Capital into a financial powerhouse. So, by the time I got there, it was well beyond just, you know, financing customer acquisitions of appliances. I mean, you know, I probably shouldn’t have been doing it because I had been a journalist covering public schools and knew nothing about leveraged buyouts. But I was financing leveraged buyouts at GE Capital, and that was one of 18 or 20 business lines that the business was in and you know, just making huge profits, arbitraging that credit rating. RITHOLTZ: So, you go from GE Capital to Lazard next. Tell us about Lazard. COHAN: Well, Lazard couldn’t have been more different than GE, as you can imagine. RITHOLTZ: Talk about old school, classic partnership, managing risk, very different headspace. COHAN: Oh, totally, totally. I mean, I’ve always been fascinated by Lazard because I read Cary Reich’s book, the Financier about Andre Meyer which was a fabulous book and Cary Reich was a great writer, but he died way too young. And you know, I’ve been a Francophile my whole life. I read that book. I wanted to work at Lazard. When I was in business school, I got an interview at Lazard with two partners who probably are still there, and they didn’t even send me a ding letter, Barry. Do you know what a ding letter is? RITHOLTZ: Sure. COHAN: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Thanks for coming in. COHAN: Thanks for coming. We don’t need you. RITHOLTZ: At this time — COHAN: You know, good luck with you. I’m sure you’d be great. RITHOLTZ: We’ve put your resume in our file. COHAN: That’s right. RITHOLTZ: Don’t hold your breath. COHAN: They didn’t even send me one of those. They just ignored me. Okay. And then two years later, I tried again. You know, GE Capital, you have to understand, like, investment banking was so hot then. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: Everybody wanted to be an investment banker. RITHOLTZ: Of course. It was monstrous. COHAN: It was monstrous. I mean, investment bankers were rock stars, right? So I was at GE Capital and you know, we were getting business because we had access to all this capital. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. COHAN: You know, I became enamored of this idea of getting business through your ideas, right. And that was at Lazard. Lazard had no capital. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: No capital, but it got in the middle of deals. It became interstitial men because of, you know, its reputation, its brain power, and that really appealed to me. And plus, it was French, in a private partnership, and all these great men were wandering around like, you know, Felix Rohatyn, and Michel David-Weill and — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — Damon Mezzacappa. And so, I, you know, wanted to be part of that. I was the only associate they hired in 1989. RITHOLTZ: They’re like the last partnership standing, aren’t they? COHAN: No. They went public in 2006. RITHOLTZ: Oh, they did? COHAN: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: That’s right. COHAN: They’ve been, and my first book covered them being a private partnership to going public. And when Bruce Wasserstein came in, and basically stole the company from Michel David-Weill, which is a story I tell in detail in the book. They went public in May of 2006, and they’ve been public now for — RITHOLTZ: The argument is they avoided trouble in the financial crisis because they didn’t have a decade of overleverage. COHAN: Well, they had vague basically zero capital markets business. They had no balance sheet. So they weren’t ever going to be, you know, having securities on their balance sheet that were at risk and losing value. RITHOLTZ: Whereas all the other public companies had access to capital and managed to get into trouble. COHAN: Of course, having access to capital can be a big problem. And they used to say that like, you know, Goldman Sachs, which one of the reasons they stayed private until 1999 is because John Whitehead used to say that and I know this from writing my book about Goldman, John Whitehead used to say that, you know, not having capital forced them to make tougher choices. And other banks which have more access to capital, you know, were often foolish with that money. RITHOLTZ: So, you go from Lazard to Merrill to JPMorgan, tell us about those other experiences, how do they compare to Lazard which seems much more unique, being in a public company versus a partnership. What was the workflow like there? COHAN: I mean, in Lazard, you were drinking from the firehose — RITHOLTZ: Yeah. COHAN: — because, you know, there were 72 partners and 72 non-partners in the investment banking group, so very small. So, you know, that was not a pyramid structure. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: That was a rectangular structure. So, you know, there are a lot of people at the top of the funnel, pushing down on the people at the bottom of the funnel. And so, you know, you’re just constantly busy working on the biggest and best deals of all time, you know, and that’s what I did. And you know, Merrill was, of course, much more corporate. It was public. And the ultimate corporate was Chase, JP Morgan, JPMorgan Chase, you know. So, they were all very different. But you’ll note of those three, you know, Lazard and Merrill and JPMorgan Chase, the only one I’ve written a book about is Lazard because it was so unique and you know, really, the people there were quite extraordinary and fun to write about. RITHOLTZ: So, compared to Lazard and Goldman Sachs, I have to ask the question about GE Capital. Did they essentially in the 1990s, morphed what was an industrial giant into a financial giant? COHAN: In fairness, you know, once Jack took over GE Capital in the ‘70s, and you know, once he decided that, as he told me, it was easier to make money from money than from making — RITHOLTZ: Selling widgets or jet engines. COHAN: — jet engines, making power plants. You know, it was just easier. It was easier to do that arbitrage and if you had people in place who understood the risks and managing the risk. So during Jack’s 20-year reign atop GE, GE Capital became an increasingly large and important contributor to the bottom line, and to the point of like providing 50 percent of the profits. So, I mean, — RITHOLTZ: Wow. That’s giant. COHAN: Of course, it was giant. It was like the third or fourth largest banking institution in the country, and it was completely unregulated, Barry, completely unregulated. It was not a bank because — RITHOLTZ: No FDIC insurance, no regulation. COHAN: Well, it didn’t have deposits. RITHOLTZ: Right. Well, they had one depositor, it was General Electric, the company. COHAN: It was the commercial paper mark. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. That’s quite amazing. COHAN: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: So when I think of GE in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the three things that come up; GE Capital, obviously; the rise of shareholder value, which a lot of people point to General Electric as a key driver of that; and then Six Sigma. Let’s talk a little bit about shareholder value and that Chicago School philosophy that Jack seems to have embraced? COHAN: Well, you know, Jack wouldn’t know Chicago philosophy from a hole in the wall. But what Jack really understood was, you know, stock price — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — and shareholder value. When he took over GE, we had a market value of $12 billion. And you know, by the time he left, like a year before he left, it was the most valuable company in the world. RITHOLTZ: 650? COHAN: $650 billion. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. That’s amazing. COHAN: So that’s a nice, you know, compounded rate of return over those basically 20 years. I mean, you know, we’re not unlike, you know, sort of Tesla or even Apple. Really, I mean, if you think about when Tim Cook took over Apple, it was worth $300 billion, and at one point it was worth two and a half trillion. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: So that’s an equally Jack Welch like, or even more. RITHOLTZ: So the difference between the two, I’m glad you brought that up as an example, the vast majority of the gain we’ve seen in Apple has been an increase in revenues and profits, with a modest, very modest uptick in PE multiple. When we look at GE from ‘82 to 2000, under the Jack Welch reign, it began priced as a stodgy industrial and I have argued that he left this giant ticking time bomb of a 47 PE on an industrial, with a cratering capital business that had a ticking time bomb of an accounting fraud that SEC finds about to happen. How much of the growth of GE was due to the legend of Jack Welch and how effectively he presented the company to the world? COHAN: So there’s a lot there to unpack. RITHOLTZ: Hey, I read this giant book that goes into all these details called Power Failure. Check it out. COHAN: Wow. Don’t hurt yourself. So yeah, so I would agree with a lot of what you said, not all of it. So Jack had Wall Street research analysts eating out of the palm of his hand. RITHOLTZ: Absolutely. COHAN: Okay. So that’s important, number one. RITHOLTZ: And you discussed that also. COHAN: And he figured that out, okay, and he played that game. And also, it was a fact that, for the longest time, the research analysts that covered GE were industrial side analysts, didn’t understand what was going on at GE Capital. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: So he could kind of wow them every quarter with the performance of the company. And he, you know, 80 straight quarters or something like that, you know, either met or exceeded the analysts’ estimates. RITHOLTZ: He had Bernie Madoff numbers, didn’t he? Just like consistency to a degree that should have raised some red flags? COHAN: Well, except that Bernie Madoff was a Ponzi scheme and totally fictional, and never made a trade — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — for his customers. So, Jack was actually, you know, running a very large — RITHOLTZ: 90 percent of it was legit. It was just that penny or two of up or down that was — COHAN: Well, you know, we could debate that probably endlessly, and there are people who, you know, would love to debate this. I mean, you know, having worked at GE Capital, I’m actually sympathetic. You know, if you’ve got $650 billion of assets floating around, including loans of actual buildings because you’re in the real estate business — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — warrants in companies, equity stakes and companies, you know, and if you have those assets and you can monetize them at some point during the quarter to achieve what you told Wall Street research analysts you’re going to achieve. If you don’t do that, then I don’t know you’re committing some sort of financial malpractice, it seems to me. And if you do it, then people accuse you of financial malpractice so — RITHOLTZ: Well, we’ll get to the SEC fines and that stuff later. COHAN: Right. Of course. RITHOLTZ: I want to stick with the analyst community. COHAN: Yes. RITHOLTZ: Jack having them eat out — COHAN: And he also had the media eating out the thing. RITHOLTZ: So that’s where exactly I was going to go. COHAN: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: GE owns NBC Universal. NBC Universal has on its platform CNBC. COHAN: Jack created CNBC, created MSNBC. RITHOLTZ: So, it’s different today when the media ratings for financial television are all off. Regardless of which television channel you’re talking about, the numbers are way down from the ‘90s. You’ll get a spike during the financial crisis. You’re getting a spike during the pandemic lockdown. But that’s more like a cross between ESPN 6, Australian rules rugby and the Weather Channel, right? When some disaster happens, everybody turns to it. But, look, we both came up in the ‘80s and ‘90s. At that time, if a CEO went on CNBC and said, here’s what I’m going to do, and then he went out and do it, the entire investment community was hanging on to that every word, which raises the question, how effective was Jack Welch as a media spokesperson? And how challenging was it for him to go on his own channel and tout his company’s stock? COHAN: Well, he obviously had a conflict. RITHOLTZ: A little, right? COHAN: But I guess they got over that. I mean, did you ever meet Jack? RITHOLTZ: Ever so briefly at CNBC for like 30 seconds — COHAN: Okay. RITHOLTZ: — in a green room. He was getting makeup on and I was coming in for Kudlow & Cramer, and maybe it was eight seconds. COHAN: Well, then you have a hint of what he was like. I mean, I spent, you know, hours and hours and hours with him before he died. And he even as an 80-year-old man, he was incredibly charming and magnetic, and had a larger-than-life personality. So, you know, when he would get on television, you know, with that cranky sort of New England accent — RITHOLTZ: Yup. COHAN: — that I managed to get rid of, and he didn’t, even though we grew up near each other, he was magnetic and captivating. So, yes, he had the media eating out of the palm of his hands. He had the research community eating out of the palm of his hands. He had shareholders eating out of the palm of his hands. And when you have that kind of performance as a CEO over that long period of time, don’t forget, he was around for 20 years. You know, he became sort of an imperial CEO. RITHOLTZ: I’m trying to remember which magazine it was, might have been Fortune, declared him the greatest CEO of the 20th century. COHAN: The CEO, the manager of the century. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. COHAN: The manager of the 20th century. RITHOLTZ: Quite impressive. COHAN: Yes. You know, don’t forget, at that time, GE was the most valuable company. It was the most respected company, and Jack was the manager of the century. So it’d be like Apple, Google, Microsoft, all rolled up into one. And you know, that was GE. It was, you know, original member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It was a AAA credit rated company. It had been paying dividends for, you know, 50, 60, 70 years. RITHOLTZ: It’s like they invented the light bulb. COHAN: And they did, and it was a true bellwether. Remember that phrase? A bellwether? They don’t really use that anymore. RITHOLTZ: No, no. COHAN: But it was a bellwether of the market. RITHOLTZ: Amazing. So, Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon, you know, when I saw the title of this book, I thought it was going to be about the modern GE. You really do an amazing deep dive into the early history of the company. I mean, the foundation from before they were accompanied, when it was just a gleam in a Thomas Edison’s eyes. Tell us a little bit about the process of researching something this substantial. COHAN: Very, very painful, Barry. RITHOLTZ: Well, you do this in all your books, you do a giant dive. COHAN: You know, I write the books that I would like to read, you know, so they have to be sort of part oral history, part real history, part investigative reporting, part documentary, you know, deep dive and evidence. And you know, I like to get at the DNA of these firms or these companies, right. And the DNA of GE goes back to the late 19th century, right? RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: And I didn’t know what it was, so I had to figure that out. Because, you know, the myth is that this GE was started and founded by Thomas Edison. Well, within a minute of virtue of researching, I discovered that actually, that’s not true. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: But they play that up ad nauseam and I don’t blame them. I mean, how can you not play up Thomas Edison. RITHOLTZ: And the light bulb. COHAN: Well, the light bulb is real. He did, you know, develop the light bulb, create the light bulb. But you know, the business started as an electricity power generation business. RITHOLTZ: Let’s talk about that because a light bulb is useless if you can’t it plug into the wall. COHAN: Extremely useless. RITHOLTZ: At that time, that wasn’t an electrical — COHAN: If you’ve heard of candles — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — if you’ve heard of whale oil — RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: — if you’ve heard of fireplaces, I mean, you know, this was incredible. This was an Internet-like leap forward in technology. RITHOLTZ: So General Electric plays an integral role into bringing — COHAN: Essential. RITHOLTZ: — electricity, at least starting in the Northeast of the United States. COHAN: Right. RITHOLTZ: Tell us a little bit about that process of electrifying New York City, electrifying other parts of the Northeast. COHAN: Well, basically, what became General Electric, which was a merger of two companies, you know, sort of what was a pioneer in bringing electric power, the generation of electric power, and then creating the electric power grid. Remember, you can create electricity. RITHOLTZ: And good luck. COHAN: But if there’s no way to deliver it to businesses, and then by the way, you know, you have to convince people to, like, connect to it. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: And it’s invisible, right? And if you mess up, it’s deadly. RITHOLTZ: So other than that, it seems like a simple business model. COHAN: Other than that, it seems like a simple thing. In the early days, there were like fires, you know, and people’s businesses burned down. So, you can imagine that wasn’t exactly the greatest recommendation for this product. But over time, you know, the miracle occurred. And part of the reason the miracle occurred is because, you know, there were electric subway cars and electric trams above ground. And you know, I don’t know, you probably didn’t watch this, but, you know, The Gilded Age show. Okay. So, I mean, there’s an episode, I think the second or third episode in there, where they actually have a big social event in Downtown Manhattan, in a square mile in Downtown Manhattan, around City Hall, where they were, you know, electrifying that square mile of Downtown Manhattan. And that was GE doing that. Okay. That was General Electric doing that, and that was like a major league event in New York City’s history, you know, electrifying a square mile of Downtown Manhattan. And there was, like, a big social event. And you know, Page Six covered it, Bloomberg covered it, you know, everybody covered it. RITHOLTZ: I don’t think Bloomberg covered that thing. COHAN: No? Okay. RITHOLTZ: It might have been before Mike was born. COHAN: It might have been. RITHOLTZ: But when you think about people seeing streetlights that are running without oil — COHAN: Revolutionary. RITHOLTZ: Right. This is — COHAN: I mean, maybe not as quaint. RITHOLTZ: Well, this is before the days of FOMO was called FOMO. But how attractive was the idea of clean, accessible light? COHAN: I mean, it did — RITHOLTZ: How long did it take for this to catch on? COHAN: It happened quickly. Obviously, it was a major, you know, revolution. But, I mean, people had to get comfortable with it. And the grid had to be built out, and the power had to be able to be manufactured. So as the demand crept up and continued, then the supply grows to meet that demand. RITHOLTZ: So, let’s talk about how that was done. Tell us about the merger in the early days that gave us General Electric, and who ran that company. It wasn’t Thomas Edison. COHAN: No. So, Thomas Edison was completely against the merger of what became GE. So right off the bat, I’m thinking, why did they keep talking about Thomas Edison? Like, I get it from the technology point of view and the entrepreneurial point of view, but the actual merger, so right off the bat, we’re talking about M&A, which, you know, of course, intrigued me. RITHOLTZ: Your wheelhouse. COHAN: Right. I mean, there was probably no bigger acquirer and seller of companies over the years than GE. So, M&A was in GE’s DNA. It was like an investment banker’s dream, GE. And so, Edison had a company called Edison General Electric. But by 1892, it had about $10 million in revenue. It wasn’t doing that well. He was just basically a shareholder, and the other big shareholder was JPMorgan, the man. And then it was, you know, run by a different CEO who was also a venture capitalist friend of JPMorgan’s. And there was another company called the Thomson-Houston Company, which was owned by a guy named Charles Coffin up in Massachusetts. And he was from Maine, but his uncle owned a shoe manufacturing business Lynn, Massachusetts. He went to work for his uncle and decided like many, you know, entrepreneurial minded people that the shoe business wasn’t all that exciting. But what was exciting was the electric power business and the generation of electric power. So, he ended up buying the Thompson-Houston Company, which was started by two high school teachers in Philadelphia, moved it eventually up to Lynn, Massachusetts, and started running it. He was a very good businessman, and he ran it much more profitably than Edison’s company. So basically, JPMorgan and the Boston venture capitalist backing Thompson-Houston Company, backing Charles Coffin’s business, wanted to merge these two businesses. And the merger took place in 1892, over the serious objection of a guy named Thomas Edison. He wanted nothing to do with it. He became a minor shareholder, eventually sold his shares and started working on, like, limestone mining in New Jersey. RITHOLTZ: So, did Edison profit from when GE eventually went public, or did he sell his — COHAN: You know, he wasn’t a very good businessman. RITHOLTZ: He’s clearly not. COHAN: No. And I’m sure he made money because he started the company, but — RITHOLTZ: But he ended up like a 10 percent shareholder of GE, right? COHAN: Well, you know, when it went public. But we’re talking about relatively small numbers, but at the time, I’m sure that was, you know, more money than most everybody else. He was fine. Don’t you worry. But you know — RITHOLTZ: Don’t worry about Thomas Edison. He did okay himself. COHAN: — JPMorgan and Charles Coffin and others made a lot more money. RITHOLTZ: That’s really interesting. So, let’s roll into the 20th century, the teens, the ‘20s, the ‘30s, GE has electrified a lot of America. They’re adding businesses. There’s a lot of M&A. And it turns out that, you know, this competition thing, it’s hard, and it’s much easier if we all kind of agree, don’t tell anybody, we’ll meet in the hotel room, not in the conference facility. But let’s all kind of fix our prices in a way that works out best for everybody. This is good for everybody, isn’t it? What happened with that? COHAN: Yeah, you’re referring to a major league, you know, electrical conspiracy as it was called. I mean, you know, where Westinghouse and other manufacturers of electrical equipment basically conspired together to set the prices. RITHOLTZ: And by the way, these people didn’t innovate that. This is fairly common. It’s why we have any trust rules. At that time, this seemed to have happened pretty regularly. COHAN: And you know, they would sort of get caught, or they would decide that it wasn’t such a great idea. They would try to stop it, and then — RITHOLTZ: Or they would cheat amongst themselves. COHAN: And then cheat amongst themselves. RITHOLTZ: No honor among thieves. COHAN: And then they would realize, you know, this probably isn’t great, what we’re doing here. Let’s wind it down, and they would be told to wind it back up again. It was incredibly unethical, immoral, illegal. People went to jail. You know, no doubt after about 10 years, it was flushed. RITHOLTZ: What was so fascinating in the book, the way you describe it, is when these sort of quiet coalitions and trusts would start to break down, the price competition became fierce, and the penetration into the market and the ability to get new products, like capitalism turns out to work. COHAN: It’s a test case that shows you the importance of competition. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: And collusion does not really work out for consumers. So, you know, there’s a reason we have antitrust. There’s a reason, you know, that’s still being litigated even today. We see, you know, antitrust litigation now ramping up again. So, competition is important, and collusion really is not great and is illegal. RITHOLTZ: You know, the differences between the 21st century collusion and the 20th century, you hear about Google and Apple and Microsoft trying to cap prices on certain software engineers’ salaries. This was just massive. It affected cities. It affected businesses. Like, there was a real hard number that you couldn’t buy a turbine from, which was enormously important. Now, I’m not saying what Apple and Google did was right, it was wrong. It just seems like it’s so much smaller than the collusion from the good old days. COHAN: Or maybe if there is collusion today, let’s just make it hypothetical, it’s sort of more insidious because you’re not exactly sure how, you know, it might affect the pricing of software products, or it might affect whether there’s cookies that are taken from our data, and how our data is used. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: You know, back then, it was, okay, we need to build a power plant in Florida. And you know, you guys make your bids. Westinghouse, you make your bid. GE, you make your bid. And oh, these bids seem awfully similar. And you know, oh — RITHOLTZ: Identical. COHAN: Identical, in fact. RITHOLTZ: What a coincidence. COHAN: Are you guys colluding? And you know, I want to go around and cut a deal. So, it was sort of amateur hour, if you will. It really was kind of amateur hour, which doesn’t make it any less illegal or immoral or unethical. But you know, what you can probably get away with — unbeknownst to people nowadays with — and again, I’m not saying that it’s happening, but If it were to happen, you know, it’s probably much more insidious and hard to track down. RITHOLTZ: So, let’s fast forward a little bit. GE plays a huge effort during both World Wars. Tell us a little bit about what GE did. How did they affect the ability to fight a global conflict like that, from here in the United States? COHAN: Well, GE was a, you know, for a long time, a very big defense contractor, made jet engines for fighter jets, and you know, made nuclear power plants and probably had a role in making nuclear bombs and triggers and things like that. RITHOLTZ: Undisclosed? None of that we really you know about. COHAN: Yeah, we don’t know. We know, you know, there were nuclear waste dumps, et cetera, probably at one point that GE was involved with. What I found to be the most interesting thing was sort of in World War I, GE created the radio technology, you know, that we may be even using today — RITHOLTZ: Right now. COHAN: — right now, that allowed people to communicate with one another. And it was a real technological breakthrough and helped the Allies win the war. And so, GE created this technology, and after the war, wanted to sell it to Marconi, which was the big British company. They had an American subsidiary called American Marconi, which was a public company. And basically, the government, Woodrow Wilson’s administration blocked the sale of that. RITHOLTZ: Sure. Too valuable. COHAN: Too valuable. And essentially forced GE to create what became RCA, the Radio Corporation of America, inside GE, and forced GE to buy American Marconi and create what became RCA inside GE, so that the British wouldn’t get access to this technology and dominate the radio waves. RITHOLTZ: Which is funny because they’re an ally of ours. COHAN: Yes. RITHOLTZ: And then am I recalling this correctly? Wasn’t the subsequent event of that, and now that we’ve done all this, you have to divest RCA. COHAN: Yeah. So that was like, you know, in 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920. And then in 1932, for reasons that actually kind of I still don’t quite understand, the Justice Department decided that GE owning RCA was an antitrust violation, forced GE to divest RCA. That’s when RCA became a public company run by David Sarnoff. And then, you know, in 1986, our hero, Jack Welch, buys back RCA for $6.4 billion, at that point, the largest M&A deal in history. And everybody like heralds, Jack Welch is like this hero for doing this incredible deal, which by then, RCA also owns NBC. That’s how GE got NBC. And in fact, Jack was just buying back something that GE had started. RITHOLTZ: He’s getting the band back together. COHAN: He’s getting the band back together. But of course, nobody has that kind of a memory. In front page of The New York Times was Jack Welch buying back RCA, the biggest M&A deal of all time. And now, he’s got NBC. But Jack was just buying back what GE had already owned. RITHOLTZ: So let’s — COHAN: And I didn’t know that, by the way, and I had worked there. And that was a big revelation to me. I was fascinated by that. RITHOLTZ: So, let’s stay with the chronology, World War II ends, they come out of the war with a burgeoning defense business. Jet engine is invented during World War II but not deployed until after the war. I don’t know if we had any jet fighters during the war. The Germans had a couple. It certainly didn’t affect the tide of the war, one way or another. COHAN: I mean, I think you know that GE perfected, you know, the jet engine by going up to Pikes Peak, you know. I’m sure you remember that commercial. RITHOLTZ: Yes. It’s an amazing story. COHAN: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: They have to drive up there — COHAN: They have to drive up there. RITHOLTZ: — because it’s the highest point you can get to by truck. COHAN: It’s the highest point that you can get to by truck — RITHOLTZ: Yes. COHAN: — because it’s a road up to the top of Pikes Peak. And then they test the engine because they needed to test it out — RITHOLTZ: Was that a propeller engine, not a jet engine, right? COHAN: I think that was a jet engine, but, like, you know — RITHOLTZ: But the whole idea was some of the fighter planes move faster. COHAN: Were losing altitude. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: They would get up to certain altitude — RITHOLTZ: They would lose power. COHAN: They would lose power. And so they needed to test a new jet engine to see whether it would maintain its, you know, velocity — RITHOLTZ: Full thrust that had the higher — COHAN: — of full thrust that had a high altitude. And obviously, GE perfected that on top of Pikes Peak and that made a huge difference for the speed and the, you know, viability of these fighter jets. RITHOLTZ: So, they come out of the war with this huge book of patents, all these new products, essentially an entire new line of aerospace and defense sectors. It seems like the post-war era really began the modern period of General Electric becoming a dominant conglomerate. Fair statement? COHAN: I mean, yes. I mean, you know, GE kind of ended up, for whatever reason, doing some of the largest M&A deals, you know, up to that point. Like, you know, Jack’s predecessor, Reg Jones, bought something called Utah International, which was like a mining company of all things, because he decided that, you know, owning commodities would be a good hedge against the 1970’s inflation. So that was like a two and a half billion-dollar deal. That was, again, Utah International. That was the largest M&A deal, you know, up to that point, prior to RCA. RITHOLTZ: The RCA? COHAN: Right. Which Jack had done a decade later. And of course, when Jack became the CEO in 1980, he hated the Utah International deal. He was against it, but nobody listened to him. And the first thing he did was divest it. So, Jack divests, you know, so that’s not unsurprising that the new CEO, you know, wants to undo. Jack wanted to, you know, make changes to the way Reg Jones ran GE. And so, I think, you know, it was under Jack, really, that GE was just buying and selling so many companies all the time. They were really an M&A machine. You know, they hired this guy, Mike Carpenter, you know, from McKinsey to be the M&A guy and you know, just create a strategic planning department just to do deals. RITHOLTZ: And they did a ton of them, didn’t they? COHAN: Did a ton of deals. RITHOLTZ: So, I have to start by asking, you begin the book telling a story of driving with Jack to the golf course. Tell us a little bit about how you met him and what that set of conversations were like. COHAN: So, once I decided to see if I could do this book in August of 2018 — RITHOLTZ: Geez, that’s a five-year process. COHAN: Well, I mean, it took me probably two and a half years to write it and research it, and then another, you know, 15 months to get it published. You know, getting a book published in the middle of a pandemic is not that easy. RITHOLTZ: You see, I would think it’s easy because you’re at home. They’re at home. COHAN: You know, it was easy for me. But you know, we’re talking about paper supply and printing time on the printer and things like that really got bogged down, and not just for my book, but a lot of books. RITHOLTZ: That’s interesting. I didn’t realize that. COHAN: And getting time on the press was very hard to do, and finding the paper was very hard. RITHOLTZ: So, we had supply chain issues with — COHAN: Supply chain issues. RITHOLTZ: — paper for books. COHAN: Exactly. And time on the press RITHOLTZ: I had no idea. COHAN: I think I actually started it in October of 2018. But one thing I did was, you know, I figured if Jack weren’t going to talk to me, then I would have to think about whether I wanted to do it. You know, I had a home in Nantucket, I was there. He had a home around the corner from me in Nantucket. I would see him occasionally. RITHOLTZ: Did you know him when you worked at GE Capital? COHAN: I mean, of course, we all, quote, “knew” Jack. RITHOLTZ: Did you meet him? Did he chat? Was he familiar with you prior to you reaching out to him? COHAN: Oh, I seriously doubt it. But I think — RITHOLTZ: You were a kid banker and a finance banker. COHAN: I was, you know, a pipsqueak, way down the food chain. And I think over time, over the years, he became aware of who I was, running the book. And when I reached out to him, he surprised me by saying, yeah, let’s have a meeting and let’s meet at the Nantucket Golf Club which, you know, was where he was a member. And we met and — RITHOLTZ: I love the story of him like kind of rolling up in the car to the valet, and the kid, the keys. Tell us a little bit about what that was like. COHAN: You know, I walked into the Nantucket Golf Club and told them I was being a Jack Welch. Of course, you know, it was like I was meeting royalty. I love this story. We go out onto the veranda which was the porch, you know, for lunch, and he was already seated there. And at the next table, there was Phil Mickelson. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: It was a Wednesday. Okay. And the Thursday was, like, I think the Deutsche Bank Golf Tournament, the Annual Deutsche Bank Golf Tournament happens in Massachusetts, right. So the professional golfers were in and around Massachusetts, and Phil Mickelson, Lefty, was doing a practice round at the Nantucket Golf Club the day before the tournament started. So he was there having lunch and he was seated at a table with Bob Diamond who had been the CEO of Barclays and I think had been defenestrated by then. And he was with Paul Salem, who I knew from growing up in Central Massachusetts. And Paul was one of the founders of a private equity firm, Providence Equity Partners. And so they were having lunch and you know, one after another, they came over and paid their respects to Jack. Everybody was always paying their respects to Jack and this was no different. And I knew Bob and I knew Paul, so they’re probably wondering, what the hell is Bill Cohan sitting and having lunch with Jack Welch? The first thing out of Jack Welch’s mouth, as I tell the story, was that, you know, he had messed up. He didn’t use messed up, but he used something — RITHOLTZ: He was not afraid to use salty language. COHAN: He was not afraid. And he had messed up with the succession process. He had messed up the selection of Jeff Immelt, which basically, who was his handpicked successor. And he felt, you know, by 2018, Jeff, of course, had been — RITHOLTZ: Gone. COHAN: — fired. You know, he had been fired a year earlier, and John Flannery was the new CEO. Now, I had worked with John Flannery. John Flannery and I had started at GE Capital together and shared an office together. So, I knew John for 30 years and you know, it was great that John was the new CEO. So the first thing out of Jack’s mouth is how he had messed up the process and I’m thinking to myself, whoa, Jack Welch is telling me that the person he had hand-selected as a successor, he was completely disavowing and, like, saying, I messed this up completely. But I said, Jack, you chose him. RITHOLTZ: Right. COHAN: Yes, I know, but I screwed it up and this is on me, and this is going to affect my legacy. At that moment, I kind of knew I was onto something — RITHOLTZ: You’re in. COHAN: — quite special. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: And he had already published his — COHAN: Oh, yeah, his memoir. RITHOLTZ: — autobiography. COHAN: His memoir came out literally on September 11th, 2001. In fact, he had been on the Today show that morning and had finished his segme.....»»

Bonnie Low-Kramen was the "Moonstruck" star Olympia Dukakis' assistant for 25 years. She helped write her son's papers and attended awards shows. Bonnie Low-Kramen.Pete Longworth Bonnie Low-Kramen was the personal assistant to the actor Olympia Dukakis for 25 years. She helped the "Moonstruck" star get out of traffic, review contracts, and take care of her family. The work came with a lot of perks — like attending awards shows — and burnout. In January 1986, Bonnie Low-Kramen, who was 27 at the time and temping in Broadway box offices as she tried to carve out a career as an actor, was tipped off to a gig as the public-relations director for the Whole Theatre, a small theater in northern New Jersey.The place was run by a respected stage veteran, and the job paid $18,000 a year, Low-Kramen told Insider — a reasonable amount at the time. Crucially, it gave her the chance to fulfill her dreams in a different way."I needed to be in show business, but I'd be totally fine behind the scenes," she said. Her boss was the 56-year-old actor Olympia Dukakis, who was just about to score a career-changing role. Upon the release of "Moonstruck" in 1987, for which she'd win an Oscar, Dukakis went from a beloved Broadway performer to a movie headliner for the first time — and Low-Kramen came along for the ride, working as her personal assistant for more than 25 years."My title was 'personal assistant,' but she just called me Bons. Everybody in her orbit knew that in order to get Olympia to do anything, you needed to go through me," she said. "We worked well together — she was happy, and I was having a ball."Low-Kramen left that role in 2011 to create her own company, which specializes in training would-be celebrity PAs, as well as write books and give speeches on what VIP life was like IRL.She shared with Insider how she made the leap into PA work, what it's like to work for a celebrity day-to-day, and how she pivoted into entrepreneurship.Good timing got her a role working alongside a starLow-Kramen with Olympia Dukakis and Dukakis' husband, the actor Louis Zorich.Robert SandersLow-Kramen said her role as a PR director morphed into a PA job by circumstance: Dukakis was heading to Canada for the "Moonstruck" shoot, she said, and asked Low-Kramen to come along to act as a point person for the New Jersey theater."I didn't know there was a name for what I was doing, but I realized I was really good at it," Low-Kramen said.When questions came in, for example, she would note them down, then sit with Dukakis at a set time to secure answers. Quickly, Low-Kramen realized that prioritizing was a vital movie-set skill."You had to start with the most important things because you'd inevitably hear a knock in the background, and the production assistant would say, 'We need you on the set.'"When Dukakis catapulted into Hollywood's top tier and began landing parts in movies like "Working Girl" and "Steel Magnolias," Low-Kramen was offered a more-permanent role as Dukakis' assistant, and she immediately accepted.An assistant splits their time between supporting a celebrity personally and professionallyLow-Kramen said working for a celebrity didn't come with a job description but the work was typically split evenly between personal and professional support."You give them the freedom to do only what they can do — costume fittings, memorizing lines — and you do everything else."Low-Kramen supported Dukakis' family, including her husband, the actor Louis Zorich ("She was a neat freak, and he loved his piles of stuff," Low-Kramen said), and their three children, with everyday tasks. A request to write a term paper for one of the actor's sons made her uneasy."I said I'd do it, but she needed to be sitting next to me, so we did it together," she said.She also was often tasked with booking restaurant reservations, a duty much more nuanced than it sounds. She had to consider whether her boss was planning a lunch to be seen — by paparazzi, perhaps, to help bolster her profile and clinch a role — or to have a discreet discussion, then request the appropriate table.When the actor was away for months from home, it was up to the PA to make a rented apartment or suite feel less sterile. Dukakis, Low-Kramen said, insisted on rooms with working windows, rather than piped-in AC. One perk of working for a star is the clothes, she said: "One assistant I knew was the same shoe size as her celebrity, so she got all her hand-me-down designer shoes."Prescription and dry-cleaning pickups are a constant request, Low-Kramen said, and it can cause unexpected issues. One evening, just as Dukakis was about to go onstage before taking flight the next day to London for the premier of "Steel Magnolias," Low-Kramen said she called in a panic, wondering where the dress she planned to wear for the red carpet was. Low-Kramen realized she hadn't picked it up from the cleaners, but unflustered, she called the local police to contact the store owner, who happily reopened for the local Oscar winner.Local cops also came to the rescue when Dukakis was due to appear at an event in Princeton, New Jersey, having flown into New York City from a film set. The schedule was typically tight, Low-Kramen said, but construction on the New Jersey Turnpike left Dukakis in the back of a limo with traffic at a standstill. The driver said a police escort would be the only way to get to the event on time. Thankfully, the local trooper was a "Moonstruck" fan and leaped into action."We call these save-the-day stories," Low-Kramen said, adding that often the only request in response was a signed headshot.While the name was always the same on those keepsakes, she said, the penmanship varied, as is typical."We did half and half of those because the requests came in so frequently," she said. "To keep up, she signed as many as she possibly could, but I did a great forgery."There are few boundaries in this role, so PAs have to set them for themselvesA celebrity PA's work extends beyond the client's personal life, Low-Kramen said."One of our purposes is to just keep it real with them," she said.For example, Low-Kramen would often read scripts or film contracts and offer feedback. She was also Dukakis' date to the People's Choice Awards when the actor was nominated for "Steel Magnolias" and sat at her table with Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton."People would come up to talk to her, but she was most comfortable speaking about things happening back in New Jersey," she said. "She was never comfortable with the whole 'movie star' thing because it didn't happen until she was in her 50s."Technology skills became increasingly vital as the years passed — today, Low-Kramen said, acting as on-call IT support is a major part of the PA role, especially when it comes to keeping data safe, including bank-account and passport information.There were low times, too. Her role had no set hours, and because she was a solo assistant, taking vacation meant she had to work harder before and after a trip to make up for the time out."I remember one vacation where we arrived at our destination, and I had a fever that turned out to be double pneumonia," she said. "That was a hard lesson — burnout is a big risk factor in this work."From her starting $18,000 salary, Low-Kramen would negotiate each year with Dukakis directly, since there's no human-resources department for such roles. She said Dukakis, always canny about money and keen to earn more herself, understood such asks and was generous.Today, Low-Kramen said, a starting salary for a celebrity PA on call 24/7 can typically hit the low six figures. Beware, though, that a salary that's unexpectedly high is a red flag that suggests the celebrity is unreasonable or inappropriate, or both. Low-Kramen has heard from clients about celebrities who greet their assistants at the door every morning stark naked or request their assistants be on call 18 hours a day, six days a week."Word goes round that you need combat pay for anyone to take that kind of job," she said.Using her network and experience to go off on her ownLow-Kramen at the Office Experts Annual Conference in Houston in August 2022.Jen WilnerWhen Dukakis turned 80, Low-Kramen gave her four months' notice, promising to help interview and train her replacement. At the time, she'd been increasingly involved in the organization she helped found in 1996, the New York Celebrity Assistants network, which brought others in her role together — its first president was Morgan Freeman's PA. Dukakis benefited from this network, too, Low-Kramen said."I'll never forget she read a script one time and said, 'You know, Kevin Bacon would be great to be in this with me — do you have a way of getting hold of him?' and I had his assistant's name right there," Low-Kramen said.Low-Kramen published a book about her life and career in 2004 and quickly gained attention from it, giving talks about her experience and teaching others (she hadn't signed a nondisclosure agreement with Dukakis, she said). From that, she built her current business. She worked with the Wharton School earlier in the pandemic, for example, to help keep its admin team coordinated when working remotely for the first time and hosts regular public workshops for people aspiring to her career."The biggest challenge when I started years ago in this role was that there was no training," she said. "There's no way to succeed at the highest level without training — in 2022, assistants are like high-level athletes, and they need training."A three-day in-person event with Low-Kramen costs $2,800 a person. She doesn't promise placement for her graduates but said that many had gone on to senior careers working in both the corporate world and Hollywood."It is a profession that might be fun and glamorous some of the time," she said, "but it's a lot of hard work, too, and requires really diligent training to get it right."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Hiring a team can be expensive for small-business owners. Two founders share how to scale your business responsibly. InsiderFrom left: Panelists Caroline Constas, Kimiko Avilez, Sharon Miller, Cate Luzio.courtesy of the Luminary team Building a team can help small-businesses owners grow financially and creatively.  But it can also be expensive to hire and retain full-time employees. Two founders share how to responsibly scale your team and pay workers what they're worth. This article is part of Talent Insider, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges. For entrepreneurs, building a team can be an exciting step when growing a business.For Kimiko Avilez, founder of the corporate event and travel companies Glow Event Management Co. and Glow Travel Group, building a team was necessary for her company's success. "I realized in order for me to be successful and to do what I do, it takes a team," she said.  However, Avilez — whose business was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions — is among the many founders today who don't have hefty hiring budgets. So offering internship opportunities with the potential for future work has allowed Avilez to build on a budget, she said. Avilez and Caroline Constas, who founded an eponymous clothing line, recently spoke at a panel for women- and minority-owned businesses about growing a team you can afford. Here are their tips on building a strong team sustainably.Subcontract workers for one-off eventsInternships are a great way for founders to test the waters with new employees without increasing costs for the business. Some interns work for school credit instead of financial compensation, while others work hourly without health insurance, benefits, and other expenses that come with salaries. But there will be times when internships end but you want to keep the workers on as team members, Avilez said.In these cases, she gets creative with her next steps. Her business hosts corporate events and group-travel experiences, which means certain days require extra hands. Avilez hires her former interns as contract employees for one-off events or projects if she can't hire them full time, she said. "Subcontracting them has been a way for me to pivot and to retain," Avilez said.Find creative ways to support workersWhile Avilez pays her employees per hour, she also finds additional financial avenues to support them. One way she does this is by automatically including gratuity in every client contract so her workers can earn tips. "There is a bare minimum that they have to pay gratuities to the people that work for me because I know the effort and the time that they put into it," Avilez said. "That's how I've been able to leverage that gap."She suggests other founders find similar ways to pay their workers without creating their own budget-line items.Scale at a responsible paceWhile additional employees can support a scaling business, it's important not to rely on potential growth for employees' pay. "It's very important to scale at a correct pace," Constas said. For example, if Constas meets someone she wants to work with but can't afford to hire that person full time, she'll try to find other employment options. "Whenever I meet someone who I think has a ton of talent but I'm not able to bring them on full time, maybe we could do two hours a week, maybe we can do four," she said.Regularly including them in company work ensures they're incentivized and still bringing their ideas and skills to the table, she said. Additionally, there's hope that it could become a full-time position in the future."It's happened to me many times where I meet someone, they start off as a freelance position, and now they're full-time employees," she said.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

     The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist at VettaFi, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including the podcast extras on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is… Read More The post Transcript: Dave Nadig appeared first on The Big Picture.      The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist at VettaFi, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including the podcast extras on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is Masters in Business with Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg Radio. BARRY RITHOLTZ, HOST, MASTERS IN BUSINESS: This week on the podcast, I have an extra special guest. His name is Dave Nadig. And if this sounds like two old friends just yammering about all sorts of market esoterica, well, that’s because it is. I know Dave for a long time, and we kind of fell in love with each other’s books, music, film, and financial history when we first met 100 years ago. And so if it sounds like just two idiots talking about really interesting stuff in great detail, and me probably speaking more than I usually do during the podcast, well, that’s probably because it is. Dave is really a fascinating person, with an incredible depth of knowledge about, well, he’s probably best known as the ETF guy. And we literally talk about during the show, I got a tag to present to the SEC, about their new single stock product. And my answer was, well, I get all my information about this from Nadig. Why don’t you speak to him? And they said, “We already do.” But he also has an incredible depth of knowledge about market structures, about what people get wrong about thinking about systems, about what we get wrong about humans, and capitalism and finance. And I find Dave to be really just an intriguing, fascinating guy, full of great humility and insights. And I think you’ll find this conversation to be really fascinating. With no further ado, my interview with VettaFi’s Dave Nadig. Let’s start in the 1990s when you were at Barclays, which eventually becomes BlackRock iShares. Tell us about what you did at Barclays. DAVE NADIG, FINANCIAL FUTURIST, VETTAFI: I mean, mostly I got coffee at the beginning. In 1992, when I joined, they gave me the highfalutin title of Managing Director of Corporate Strategy. What it really meant was I was picking up little businesses nobody else wanted to pay any attention to — RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: — through all the acquisitions they were doing. So for a while, I ran Wells Fargo’s 401(k) business because they had acquired that as part of Wells Fargo Nikko Investment Advisors. When we did the Barclays acquisition, when Barclays acquired Wells Fargo Nikko, I then spent most of my time in Asia shutting down Barclays de Zoete Wedd businesses which were brokered shops in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. So I went around and sort of did some rationalization. They basically sent a young kid out to get his, you know, one hand to get fire — RITHOLTZ: Go get blood on your hands. NADIG: Yeah. Go fire a bunch of, you know, 69-year-old Japanese salarymen. RITHOLTZ: That had to be a crazy experience being in Australia and Japan in the ‘90s. NADIG: It was bonkers. To be clear, I was young and incredibly stupid. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: Now, I’m just older and slightly less stupid. RITHOLTZ: Isn’t that a little redundant? I say this not to mock the young, but to reflect on my own youthful indiscretions and stupidity. NADIG: Well, the story of growing your career is recognizing how little you knew every previous move you made. RITHOLTZ: Five years or so, right? NADIG: Yeah, exactly. RITHOLTZ: That five-year review is like, wow, I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Now, I know, and then you find out you really don’t. NADIG: Yeah. So I started there. I was lucky enough to be on the edges of a product which became WEBS, which became iShares. I was absolutely not somebody driving the train on that. I was the one reviewing marketing copy and doing presentations to groups of institutions about how to use the darn things. RITHOLTZ: Who was driving the train on that? NADIG: Oh, my gosh, there were so many. I mean, you know, success has a thousand fathers at this point. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: I mean, so the people I was working with on the Wells Fargo Nikko side, because this was a joint project with Morgan Stanley — RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: — and other folks like that, I was working with Don Luskin, Patti Dunn, Fred Grauer who were sort of the main group. Blake Grossman was the chief investment officer there. RITHOLTZ: Interesting. NADIG: He stuck around it, you know, posed into BGI for the rest of his career. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: And so that was the crew that was really doing the hard work there. And then, you know, on the Morgan Stanley side, I was working with folks like Joanne Hill, who you know at Morgan Stanley, one of the quants there. And then, of course, all the folks who were coming in from the Amex like Nate Most. I mean, it was pretty big group of folks — RITHOLTZ: You left out Jim. Was he there at State Street — NADIG: Yeah, Jim Ross was at State Street a little bit after that. But that was, you know, when the SPDR build out. This was very much counter to SPY having been launched. RITHOLTZ: Oh, really? NADIG: We were the other side of the fence from that. RITHOLTZ: Wow. NADIG: Even though Amex was the key, you know, Amex was the glue holding it together because they’ve figured out how to do creation and redemption, and how to handle book. RITHOLTZ: So let me fast-forward a couple of years, you end up at ETF.com, which clearly at least at that time was a dominant force in the ETF space, when a lot of the world of finance looked at ETFs a little askance, a little skeptically. NADIG: Yeah. And that was really Jim Wiandt, he started something called IndexUniverse with Steven Schoenfeld, somebody else you know in the industry, who’s now working for, I believe, MarketVector Indexes. And you know, they had this vision of understanding that ETFs, which at that point, were still largely institutional vehicles, early 2000s, right? I mean, there were some advisor pickup, but you had to be kind of on the front edge of finance, or a quant, or running your own models, which in 2003, was not that common. They had the vision there that, oh, no, this is where all of wealth management is going to head, and built a business which eventually through, you know, acquiring the right names and URLs became ETF.com. And then, you know, we, myself, Matt Hogan, Jim Wiandt, a bunch of other folks built that business up into, you know, a pretty respective chunky business that had a big conference and a huge data. I was focused almost exclusively on the data side. And then we broke that into pieces, so I ended up — RITHOLTZ: That was sold, though. Wasn’t it broken? So when you say broke into pieces, acquires — NADIG: In a positive way. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. That wasn’t like — NADIG: Yeah. You know like the pieces ended up being worth more than the part — the whole. RITHOLTZ: Right, as a whole, which is not uncommon. NADIG: Not uncommon at all, especially when you’re bolting together businesses that do, in fact, have silos themselves. So the data business was a natural fit for FactSet, which needed U.S. ETF data. So Elisabeth Kashner — RITHOLTZ: And FactSet is a big, big operator in that space. NADIG: And now, we relicensed the data that I helped build over VettaFi, right. I mean, they are now I still think the go-to source for primary ETF data. So that business continues to run over there. And now, here I am at VettaFi, doing largely a lot of the same work, also pushing a big conference that we’re excited about, ExchangeF in Miami, in Florida. RITHOLTZ: We’re going to talk about VettaFi. We’re going to talk about Exchange, which is one of my favorite events every year. It’s always a blast. When you were running the conference beforehand — NADIG: The old conference. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: — this was at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. It was always late January, early February, which occasionally would interfere with my vacation schedules. NADIG: I’m so sorry. RITHOLTZ: But, you know, to get out of New York in February and spend time with 3,000 people and just absolutely A-list speakers, you know, Derek Jeter. And I remember Joe Montana, like the sports figures were always fascinating, but so do were the finance figures, people that were very much rock stars in that space. NADIG: Yeah. And that was an interesting time. I think the 10-years pre-pandemic, so between GFC and pandemic, whatever you’re going to call that window, it’s not a lost decade. It was a great decade. But in that window, I mean, you were on it too. The conference circuit was elite. RITHOLTZ: Yeah, Absolutely. NADIG: There was a really interesting finance relevant event every other week, at least, all year long. RITHOLTZ: Well, keep in mind what was going on back then. So first, you had the rise of ETFs. You had a radical expansion of passive. My theory is post great financial crisis, mom and pop said, “You know, we’re done playing this game.” NADIG: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: We’re just going to put our money. Let Mr. Market do his thing and we’ll find out how we did when we get ready to retire. But you had that, you had ETFs. You have the rise of passive. But you also had this incredible, I’m reluctant to call it PTSD, but following the financial crisis, there was this pervasive negativity that lasted years and years and years, and to run around and say, “Hey, markets are positive here. You need to be more constructive because Dow 57% is a fantastic reset.” That was kind of a lonely voice for a few years. I think that’s a big part of why you had the hard metals people doing a lot of stuff. You had the rise of crypto. I mean, think about that — NADIG: But it’s a crypto. Crypto is where that enthusiasm went. Everybody who is finance-adjacent, tech positive, growth-oriented, all went into crypto, in that window, in that sort of GFC, the pandemic window. RITHOLTZ: That makes a whole lot of sense. So there’s a lot of other things I want to get to with you. But before we do, there’s a quote of yours that I think is a great leaping-off point for more discussion, “Finance is a problem that has been solved.” Explain. NADIG: Yeah. So you know, when we think about finance, particularly when we think about investing, which is what we spend most of our time talking about, right? How to take your wealth and turn it into more wealth through all of these tools out there from, you know, IPOs to derivatives? How those pieces fit together is no longer a mystery. I mean, that’s really the core of it. The academic side of how to build a portfolio, we can argue about the details, right? And certainly, we could have a whole conversation about, you know, okay, well, this combination of interest rates and inflation and expected returns on equities is different, and so maybe we need to adjust. But the tools to do that are largely baked. Anybody who has the curiosity and the basic intellectual capacity to learn about the markets can become a fairly sophisticated investor. So if you’re an advisor, and I spend most of my time talking to the wealth management institutional business, if you’re an advisor, you should not be spending a lot of your time trying to add alpha through understanding investing better than the rest of the market. That is a mug’s game, right? So don’t try to solve that problem. It’s largely solved. You can go get some turnkey asset management program. As an advisor, you could get somebody’s model portfolio, or you could hire some, you know, three CFAs and do it yourself. But it shouldn’t be your primary focus. Your primary focus should be solving the much harder problem, which is actually working with human beings, right? The advice part of being a financial adviser is the hard part. That’s the part where you should earn the money. We’re kind of upside down in how we compensate and how we think about markets, right? Some advisor that’s out there can say, “I have generally 1% alpha for the last three years in my model portfolio.” Everybody is going to talk about that. But when you talk to that same advisor, and they say, “Yeah, you know, they’re these five families I’ve worked with for 10 years. And because I’ve worked with them, generations of wealth are going to be preserved and these philanthropical exercises are going to be put forth. Like, that’s the real success story. I don’t need to tell you that. That’s your business, right? That’s the real success story, and that’s much harder than investing. RITHOLTZ: Really, really, quite, quite an interesting. You have to explain to me the name of this firm. I’ve given you grief about this. What is that VettaFi? NADIG: All right. So, well, the shortest answer about how to think about VettaFi is we’re Morningstar without a ratings business, right? RITHOLTZ: Okay. Sort of like a financial think tank? NADIG: Yeah. We’re in the business of sitting in between asset owners, financial advisors, institutions, retail and asset managers, right, the BlackRock, State Street, PIMCO’s of the world, and helping them understand each other. What I spend most of my time doing is helping advisor to understand the thousands of crazy ideas the asset management comes up with every year. And then I work with the asset management community to help them understand the hundreds of thousands of financial advisors and institutions who may or may not be interested in any of those products, whatsoever. And so what that entails is a lot of good data, understanding what both sides want of each other, and understand that it means having to understand markets. Because if you’re going to understand the asset management industry, you need to understand, well, why are managed futures part of the conversation here today, but not six months ago? And it means spending a lot of time talking to individual advisors and investors who are out there trying to do the real work. So that’s where VettaFi sits. The company like the meat and the bones underneath it, brands folks know ETF trends, ETF database. We recently merged with Advisor Perspectives, which is the largest advisor newsletter in the country. So we’ve sort of cornered the market on this dialogue between asset managers and financial advisors. And it goes both ways. We also do a lot of polling with financial advisors. We meet them at conferences. We do surveys of them. We track their behavior as they’re doing research using our data and analytics tools. And that lets us really get an interesting picture of, hey, what are advisors thinking this week? Well, we can kind of tell you because we know what they’re researching. We know how they answered poll questions last week. We know how they answered a survey two weeks again. And then we write about that. We produced 50 odd pieces of content today. RITHOLTZ: So here’s the question. Are your clients, the advisors, or are your clients, the institutional asset managers or both? NADIG: Both is the real answer. I think the way to think about this is we’re a business-to-business organization in terms of if you’re going to look at the revenue lines, but with B2C responsibilities, right? We take our relationship with the financial advisor very, very seriously. In my position, that’s really almost exclusively what I focus on. RITHOLTZ: All right. And this leads me to a question that I never in a million years thought I would get to ask on the show, but what the hell is a financial futurist? Your title is a financial futurist. NADIG: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Who came up with that? What are the responsibilities? What does a financial futurist do? Like, I expect you to be in a one of little storefronts with the red light. And people go in, “Tell me my financial future.” NADIG: And they hand you a card — RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: — through the glass. RITHOLTZ: Right, exactly. NADIG: The Madam Zola with the — RITHOLTZ: Exactly. NADIG: — and the whole nine yards like big. RITHOLTZ: Zoltar. NADIG: Zoltar. Thank you. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Right. I know my bet. NADIG: And I think it’s actually a dude in the movie. But anyway — RITHOLTZ: Yeah, it is. NADIG: — neither here nor there. So look, about a year ago, I had a conversation with the senior management of a company as we were putting VettaFi together, right? And one of the things we use as a hook when we talk about the companies, we’re trying to turn it from an industry to a community. What we mean by that is that we focus in finance a lot on rules, regulations, process, operations. None of which matter at all. And we’ve often just ignore the fact that they’re human beings at the end of this equation. Now, that’s changed because of a lot of what’s gone in behavioral finance, and I think that’s great. I don’t think if it goes nearly far enough. I think human-centered organizations are always going to win. So we really tried to skew the organization towards that. So with that context, I said, here’s a bunch of stuff I want to write about, which is the stuff we’ve been talking about, being how the how the markets work, how people fit into them. And I literally just started putting adjectives and nouns on piece of paper, trying to figure out like how do I describe the work that I think I should be doing, and that hopefully, people find at least entertaining, if not valuable? And a little from column A, a little column B, you know, I’ve spent most of my career writing and thinking about finance. Most of what I’ve done has been taking an understanding of the status quo, which is very brief, because tomorrow it’s gone. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: And trying to help people understand what that means for next week, and the next year, and the next decade, to position products underneath it, like ETFs in 1992, or model portfolios in 2000, or direct indexing in 2010. Right,? Really trying to focus on that. Now, it would be tokenized asset management. It’s like, you can see these things if you’re paying attention. But it’s super easy to get really excited and spend lots of money chasing them. Having some context is important. RITHOLTZ: So you mentioned direct indexing. Let’s go there because I always disliked the broad context of direct indexing as how it was done previously. I couldn’t stand the 50 pages of stock holdings every month or every quarter. But I give you credit for the person who kind of turned me around on that. I don’t want to say it was 10 years ago, but it was probably like five years ago, maybe a little longer, that you pointed out there are a lot of things you can do with direct indexing in terms of, and you were way ahead of the software. You had talked about things before it was available, that you could tilt towards a variety of ESG things. Hey, show me companies where the board has at least two women on it, or you could tilt towards value, or you could tilt towards small cap, or you can use it for tax loss harvesting or philanthropy. And you kind of opened my eyes up. Full disclosure, we work with O’Shaughnessy’s Canvas, which was recently purchased by Franklin Templeton. And we’re the largest client to that, about a billion or $3 billion is in that. But I give you credit because if you hadn’t opened my eyes to the advantages of what you can do with that, we might not have stepped as aggressively into it as we did. I was primed and receptive to see the things that were possible. So full credit to you. Now tell us about what is tokenized financial investment? NADIG: Well, so you know, if you think about right now, I have a million dollars, I want to put the work. I wish I have $100,000backslash I want to put to work. I have lots of different ways I can get that number to go up. And ultimately, let’s be honest, that’s what you care about as an individual investor. I have $100,000, I would like to have $110,000, how do I get there? And right now we throw it into the stock market and we effectively use a tokenized system, right? I mean, nobody really carry shares around anymore. You got a ledger entry of Seton company down on Water Street, right? Like, it’s all just this fiction that we’ve created to keep track of notional ownership. And then we built this enormous infrastructure around it. So now we have payment for order flow in 17 market centers. And you know, Reg NMS got judging what has to get broadcast to who, when. We made all this up. I think it’s really important to remember that this is fiction. We just created this system out of whole cloth. You can trace why, and there’s lots of reasons. But you could invent another one. Inventing another one is what crypto has done. If you’re in Europe right now, for instance, and you open up an account it Ftx.De, which is you know FTX is European business in Germany. You can trade Tesla, but not as a stock. You can trade what is effectively a fungible token, right, a unit of Tesla. You and I can trade that in the FTX closed ecosystem all day long, with no trading costs, no settlement, no slippage, no nothing. It’s a bearer instrument. It’s like me handing you a pencil. You just now have the pencil, and I don’t. And the legal claim is the fact that you’ve got it and I don’t. That’s scary for all sorts of reasons. But it’s also incredibly powerful because if you imagine that world where instead of it being this closed ecosystem in Germany, it’s just sort of how global markets work. All of the sudden, almost any beta, any risk, any ownership stake that you want, as long as you can get two people to agree on what the tokens mean, and how they unwind to unlock some sort of underlying value, we can do all sorts of crazy stuff through the crypto rails that we could never have done before. You want to put together a portfolio? Great. Here’s a smart contract. It owns these 15 other tokens that happen to be stocks. That can be managed in real time by the contract itself. Creation redemption literally just becomes buying the thing, RITHOLTZ: Meaning creation redemption of ETFs, where you’re assembling all the individual holdings within in. NADIG: Right. You can create an ETF on the blockchain. People have already done this. This is not new. There’s a thing called the set protocol call. You can create a portfolio with a set of rules. And you can even put in a fee of how much you want to get paid because you came up with this smart contract. And there’s hundreds of thousands of these things out there already. So the rails for doing it, the smarts, people talking about a theory in being the world’s computer, right? There’s real truth to that. There’s work being done by a computer there to keep track of ledger entries and to move those ledger entries around, which is the entire stock market. It’s moving ledger entries around. RITHOLTZ: So we’re recording this on the same day that Matt Levine’s BusinessWeek — NADIG: (Inaudible) RITHOLTZ: Right. Dropped like this is the second time in BusinessWeek’s history where one writer has written the entire — NADIG: A book. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: — issue, right? It’s like 50,000 words. And it begins by saying everything in the world these days that reflects ownership is a database. NADIG: Is a database. RITHOLTZ: You remind me of that in what you were talking about at FTX, which really raises the question, if everything is a database and the blockchain is a public and verifiable, transparent database, the pushback to crypto continues to be, hey, it’s been around for 15 years. How come it isn’t doing anything yet substantially? Why is it still so experimental and so small? And I honestly don’t know how to answer that question. NADIG: It’s regulatory. That’s literally the one-word answer is it’s regulators. RITHOLTZ: That’s the thing that is keeping the entirety of normal markets from collapsing and being replaced by free crypto software is the rules that won’t let that happen. And they’re rules that are there for a very good reason, right? I mean, we have a lot of securities laws in this country, not because we’re obsessed with lawmaking, but because some bad stuff happened and we fixed it by making rules about it. Right? You know, going back to the ‘20s, actually going back to the 1400s, we have rules about how we engage in these transactions and the rule of law is a big deal. How that interacts with this sort of bearer bond instrument world, where literally ownership as the entirety of the law is unknown territory, right? We have to rewrite how we think about intellectual property, how we think about property rights themselves, how we think about ownership and escrow. RITHOLTZ: And security is a huge one. NADIG: And security is a huge one, knowing your customer is a big one, anti-money laundering. Those are real issues. I don’t want to pretend that those aren’t real issues, and they’re going to take years to solve. This is not something we’re not going to flip a switch tomorrow. But what I fear is going to happen is because the block is now regulatory, we’re going to end up in the world’s biggest regulatory arbitrage race. And we’ve already seen this, their jurisdictions where you can kind of get away with doing anything in crypto, and hey, I’m sorry if you lost a million dollars. Call Interpol, maybe they’ll figure it out for you, right? RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: And then there’s jurisdictions like the United States, which are quite locked down. The problem is that if I’m right, if the world does move more quickly towards this, and you start seeing capital follow it more than it even has already, you end up with these weird haves and have-nots world where the United States actually ends up on the sort of bud end of innovation, and plays catch up for the next 20 years. And another financial center will emerge, where the IPOs are happening, where private equity is really congealing, where interesting M&A activity is happening in any company in New York. I’d like to push against that. I’m kind of a fan of the United States. I wouldn’t mind us leading here. RITHOLTZ: I think you live here also. NADIG: I believe I do. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: So you would like to see leadership from the U.S. and it’s just there — NADIG: They’re hopping on. RITHOLTZ: There’s seems to be no interest in a crypto ETF. What’s that about? NADIG: Well, yes. RITHOLTZ: It’s just Gary Gensler? Is that more institutional? NADIG: So the Bitcoin ETF debate, right, and Grayscale is now suing the SEC, always a great move, suing your regulators. That always works out great. RITHOLTZ: They love to be sued. NADIG: They love to do that. RITHOLTZ: They love it. NADIG: So they just say yes after you sue them here nor there. Yeah. So people have been trying to put Bitcoin in ETF wrapper, frankly, since Bitcoin was invented. And the problem is it you have to define what Bitcoin is, because there’s certain things you can put into a mutual fund or ETF wrapper and certain things you can’t, right? You can’t put a steak dinner in an ETF wrapper. There are rules about it. And nobody has been able to agree yet whether or not Bitcoin belongs in those wrappers. So we’ve ended up with these weird edge cases where the futures-based products get approved, but the species finished product — RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: — I mean, the species products can’t be. And it’s an absolute mess. It’s the frontend of the problem we’re talking about, where crypto regulation is actually the largest problem in this space. RITHOLTZ: So let me push back a bit because I became dramatically enamored of an idea of smart contracts and using them. Let me preface this by saying I’m not a big fan of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which is now a monopoly. There are some just ridiculous fees. And the whole thing is just an egregious affront to free market capitalism. Hold that aside. But the idea behind smart tickets that if Taylor Swift says, “I’m going to put all of my concert seats on a blockchain, and so therefore, I’m going to offer the first round to my hardcore fans who have been newsletter subscribers for years. And the next I’m going to give to my junior fans. And then the last one, I’ll open to the public. And by the way, built into this is if you decide to sell it at a markup, I get half of that markup. But in no case is going to be higher than X.” You know, you basically demolish the entire StubHub, SeatGeek, absolutely egregious. How do we use bots? You know, if they were just reselling tickets, it’s one thing. But they seem to have gained the system so — NADIG: Oh, yes. They buy all the tickets. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: They buy the tickets first. And you know, there’s a reason why artists offer their tickets at affordable prices, to their fans, and these rentiers in the middle are abusive. So all this comes back to if the technology exists for that, why haven’t we seen a major artist? Who was it? Was a Pearl Jam tried to buy — NADIG: They tried to, yes, get out of Ticketmaster. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Way back when? Nobody seems to be able to come up with a way to do this. NADIG: So the reason is because, you know, when we look at how the corporate economy works, there are investments that you have to make. Like, the Ticketmaster one is a great example because the technology to do that is trivial. We could stand up on three of the computers here in this control room right now. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: That’s the easy part. The hard part is it’s Madison Square Garden, Friday night. It’s 7 o’clock and you have 25,000 people you have to get through the gate in the next hour, to get to the Taylor Swift concert that’s about to go live. That infrastructure, having 45 guys standing there with the scanners, going through the network, confirming your ownership, but this ticket has already been used once, it hasn’t been used twice. That infrastructure — RITHOLTZ: But you use that right now. I saw Hadestown and they don’t even scan the ticket. You put your phone on the device. NADIG: And it goes big. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Right. You’re not even looking at QR code. NADIG: All of that is a whole bunch of trust infrastructure — RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: — that says the digital signature coming off Barry Ritholtz’s wallet is the thing that says they can go see Hadestown. Right. That infrastructure is actually the hard part because implied in that is a whole lot of rule of law stuff. Like, wait a minute, Barry and I show up at the same time with the same ticket. How do we determine which one of us is the one that actually got to go in? How do we determine which one of us owns it? What’s the recourse if you stole it from me? RITHOLTZ: In other words, if someone took a scan of that QR code, that’s the problem with the code. NADIG: So enforcement and the last mile of all of these things, right? This is the part that I always sort of come back to. RITHOLTZ: Was it blockchain who solved that? I’ve been told over and over again, “Oh, Bitcoin fixes that.” NADIG: Bitcoin solves everything, except it’s not molecular, right? RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: It’s still digital. At the end of the day, most of the things we actually give a, “You know, what about” are molecular. We want the coffee cup. We want to go to the space to see the event. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: The sound waves propagate through the air from another human being on stage. At the end of the day, you’ve got to have that interface between the virtual and the real. Otherwise, none of this matters at all. And it’s precisely that boundary that is the problem right now. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk a little bit about a conference I have participated in ETF Exchange over the years. VettaFi just purchased this from Advisor Circle. I’m an investor and Advisor Circle. So — NADIG: I don’t know any of that. RITHOLTZ: Right. So for disclosure, we’re talking about something that I kind of have an interest in or used to have an interest in. But I’m still a participant in the event. NADIG: Well, we’ll see what they’ll get you in. RITHOLTZ: Right. That’s right. Listen, I always feel like more disclosure is better than less disclosure. NADIG: Fair enough. RITHOLTZ: So I’ll let the lawyers sort that part, but — NADIG: The part I pay attention to is the content. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk a little bit about ETF Exchange. This has always been just a massive event, you mentioned earlier, in the heyday of financial conferences. This, I think, was one of the biggest events I went to each year. NADIG: Yeah. We probably need to point out that like this is, in some ways, the spiritual successor to the old Inside ETFs event. That event is still going on and I don’t want to pretend that it doesn’t exist. It is now owned by a big conference company named Informa and they still put on those events. WealthStack was an event that you all used to do with them. That’s now part of that event. RITHOLTZ: Right. Again, more disclosure, so Informa ran — NADIG: Wealth Stack, Inside ETFs. Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Right. We were partners with them for Wealth Stack, which ran one year. We were ready to do the next one when the pandemic hit. That’s the only reason that we didn’t do it at all. NADIG: And then everything got juggled. RITHOLTZ: And then after everything reopened, their staff had left. There was a whole craziness, the whole world sort of reset. And so we worked with Advisor Circle and Future Proof, not with Informa because they were in Europe, and they were a little skittish when the U.S. was reopening. But for all that nonsense aside, tell us a little bit about why have an ETF conference, you know, has an ETF settled area? Tell us a little bit about this event. NADIG: Well, no, because ETFs are where everything interesting in the world is still happening. And I think that’s part of the reason I’m still in the ETF business, although I don’t have it in my title anymore, is that regardless of what you’re trying to get done with that $100,000 you’re trying to make go up. ETFs are probably the right answer under the hood in terms of the structure. So whether you’re trying to get managed futures from an active manager or, you know, two months Treasuries, T bills, like the whole spectrum is now available in lose to 3,000 ETFs we are trading here in the U.S. It’s like the mutual fund business back in the 80s. RITHOLTZ: So you have more ETFs than there are stocks, just about. NADIG: Getting close. RITHOLTZ: Was it like 3,500 stocks to 5,000? NADIG: Yeah. Well, in the world, it’s like 30,000 actual tickers out there in the world. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: But the point is there are more ETFs than you could ever possibly use in one portfolio. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: Most people probably only need a handful to accomplish whatever objectives they’re going to do. But the reason why we have an event around it is because so much of the interesting innovation in finance happens through that structure. because the ETF structure lends itself naturally to this sort of movement of risk from bucket to bucket in a very retail-friendly package, it’s sort of like the best thing we’ve come up with. And so people ask like, “Well, why our train has a certain width?” Well, because history just sort of got us to this configuration, where now everything runs that way, and nobody is going to invent a new gauge of train track. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: This ditch of the rails that we have at the moment, and probably for the rest of my career, the ETF still looks like the most efficient set of rails anybody has figured out how to put down. So why have a conference about it? Well, largely, because we want to get those interesting conversations going. My perspective on Exchange is I’m there to have interesting conversations. And when I’m talking to a bunch of financial advisors and a bunch of finance investment management types, that tends to be the most interesting conversation because you get the real human use in the room, and you get the real human smarts in the room. And that’s when the magic happens. So whether it’s getting a bunch of folks on stage to have a really interesting conversation about, you know, geopolitical concerns in Ukraine, or whether it’s just being able to have a small breakfast with four or five advisors and some academic, where we talk about behavioral finance, those are the interesting conversations. So Exchange is really all about creating that sense of community between groups of folks. And some of that is content that’s on the stage, and a lot of it isn’t. We learned that I think at Future Proof. This is a community event. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. NADIG: This is about people getting together and exchanging ideas. And I think that’s a lesson we’ve learned from the pandemic, not just from that conference. People want to get together and talk. RITHOLTZ: You know, it’s funny because financial conferences, and maybe conferences in general, everything is based on an academic model, and people took the big lecture halls out as their frame of reference. Hey, a bunch people on stage talking to a bunch of people in the audience taking notes. But the most interesting part of college wasn’t necessarily the big lecture halls, it was the class lets out and you start to talk to people about, “Hey, could you explain this? I don’t understand what’s going on here.” And then the subsequent conversations, that’s the really exciting driver, not, you know, the panel of people telling you, “Here’s why interest rate is going to go up or down.” NADIG: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: “And what’s wrong with inflation today?” So based on that, let’s dive a little bit into some of the innovations in finance and ETFs you referenced. Let’s start with active ETFs. They were looked at kind of skeptically a few years ago. Hey, ETFs are all about low cost passive indexing. Why do I want an active ETF? NADIG: Well, the short answer is because if you’re an active manager, it’s the only way you’re going to get any customers. RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: There’s just a bit of reality in that. I mean, at this point, we’re still something like 10%, 12% of the flows. The assets are inactive. It’s still a fairly small number. RITHOLTZ: How much of that is just ARKK and Cathie Woods versus everybody else? NADIG: A decent chunk. But remember, a lot of the fixed income complex is actively managed, right? RITHOLTZ: Right. NADIG: Most of the products — RITHOLTZ: I want to say most or the vast majority of it. NADIG: Well, I mean, there’s like TLT, with the big Treasury funds, LQD and HYG. And those are sort of big betas in fixed income, and that’s where the biggest funds are. But if you get below that tier, you know, all the PIMCO funds, anything sort of interesting that’d be done at the short end. Even like a lot of the short Treasury stuff is techn.....»»

   The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Kristen Bitterly Michell, Citi Global Wealth, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including the podcast extras on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, Bloomberg, and Acast. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is Masters in… Read More The post Transcript: Kristen Bitterly Michell appeared first on The Big Picture.    The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Kristen Bitterly Michell, Citi Global Wealth, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including the podcast extras on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, Bloomberg, and Acast. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ ANNOUNCER: This is Masters in Business with Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg Radio. BARRY RITHOLTZ, HOST, MASTERS IN BUSINESS: This week on the podcast, I have an extra special guest. Her name is Kristen Bitterly Michell. She is Head of North America Investments for Citi Global Wealth, which is a giant wealth management arm of the giant Citibank. They run over $800 billion in client assets, and Kristen’s group, the North American Group, is responsible for about half of the revenue that that massive organization generates. She really has an incredible background in everything from capital markets to derivatives, to wealth management. And I found this to be an absolutely fascinating conversation, covering everything from risk to inflation to how to manage markets and how to manage investments when markets show a lot of volatility, and everybody starts to get a little nervous. I thought this was quite fascinating, and I think you will also. With no further ado, my conversation with Citi Global Wealth’s Kristen Bitterly Michell. So you have really very interesting background. You’ve been involved with capital markets for your entire career. What led you to this area? KRISTEN BITTERLY MICHELL, HEAD OF NORTH AMERICAN INVESTMENTS, CITI GLOBAL WEALTH: It’s really interesting because I’m not someone that you would think would be the typical profile to end up in capital markets or — or sales and trading. I’m from a — a very small town in the middle of Pennsylvania. It’s a town of about 4,000 people, so exposure to markets or investment banking or any of the careers in finance was not something that you really envisioned. And so, coming out of school, I studied Economics and Spanish Literature, and I applied to a — a program that actually targeted Liberal Arts majors. It was at Bank One, at the time. It was called the First Scholars Program, and they targeted Liberal Arts majors. And the whole concept of it was why don’t we take Liberal Arts majors, give them on-the-job training, give them exposure to a variety of different areas of banking and finance. And so, with this gave me exposure to everything from investment banking to retail, looking at like checking account campaigns, like how do you get more assets in the door to credit risk. And ultimately, to make a very long story short, I fell in love with derivatives. So derivatives were a part where I was very intimidated. I wasn’t that typical person that did a number of, you know, internships during the summer, had that … RITHOLTZ: Applied Mathematics, Quants, those guys, yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: … was — no, no. I was econ and kind of geeky. I love statistics. I — I loved math, but really, I was going to go down that literature route more than anything else and — and study Spanish literature. And so, when I arrived and — and got this exposure and on-the-job training, I really challenged myself to do the thing that I thought was going to be the scariest. And so, derivatives, at the time, seems like the scariest — the scariest area. And so, I said, “All right. At six months, let’s see — let’s see how this goes.” And so, it was within the Corporate Equity Derivatives team. I was very lucky to have amazing mentors, amazing people around me who really taught me about the business, taught me about markets. And once I started making that translation in my mind that it’s just a different language. It’s different vernacular. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Like when you think of derivatives, it’s like statistics, right? If you have a base foundation in statistics, it’s just translating those different concepts to a new language. I very quickly fell in love with it. I — I fell in love with equity derivatives. I thought they were amazing building blocks and a really creative part. And it was this combination of being, like I said, kind of geeky, kind of quanti, but then being client-facing. And so, that was really kind of the early formation around like this is the area where I want to be. I want to be client-facing. I want to help clients solve problems. But having this very creative, almost modular part in terms of designing solutions and structuring solutions, I loved. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk exactly about that. At Citi, in 2007, fantastic timing, you take over as Head of Structured Solutions. Tell us a little bit about what that job entailed under normal circumstances and then we’ll talk about the couple of years that followed. BITTERLY MICHELL: Sure. So I’ll tell you a little bit about how I came to Citi. So I spent a — a long time in markets, like I said, big focus on derivatives, both on the sales, as well as structuring side. I covered corporate clients, institutional clients, as well as ultra-high net worth and high net worth clients. At the time when I started really focusing in that part of the — the industry, a lot of those corporate equity derivative teams, they covered both. They covered individuals, as well as — as well as the corporations. And so, throughout that journey and covering different regions, different types of clients, I found that with the high net worth, ultra-high net worth clients, you developed a much stronger relationship. So this was a — a part of the market that it really challenged your own understanding of these strategies because these were clients that some of them were very sophisticated when it came to financial products. Some of them, it was their first experience. They had a big liquidity event. They sold their company to another company. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Their company just went public. And it’s the first time that they’re talking about options, right, and — and strategies to … RITHOLTZ: You’re talking collars and hedges and … BITTERLY MICHELL: Exactly, to be able to hedge, maintain wealth, monetize wealth. And so, this ability to either go super technical was someone who was an expert in that field and also be able to roll it back and just explain at a very high level, you know, what is the purpose of this strategy, what is it helping you do, what could go wrong. And so, ultimately, given the different types of clients segments that I’d covered, I made the decision that I really wanted to be in wealth management. And so, 2007, I came over to Citi. My husband always teases me on this point that he says, “You know, aren’t you, in some aspects, kind of a traitor?” And when you think about market timing was 2007 the best time to — to make a move, but it ended up being a perfect time actually long-term for — for my career. And so, coming into — to Citi, a lot of changes, right on the brink of the great financial crisis. And, you know, the one challenge there, Barry, was the fact that we were selling these — these products and solutions that actually were extremely relevant given market conditions. But obviously, you know, protecting your wealth, hedging downside risk, providing liquidity, helping people navigate margin calls, but obviously, it was a really challenging environment, a lot of market volatility, and anything that had to counterparty of a large bank was not something that was going to go over well. So … RITHOLTZ: There’s always risk involved with counterparties … BITTERLY MICHELL: Always risk. RITHOLTZ: … which people tend to ignore when things are pretty — let’s say, in 2007, a lot of people aren’t thinking about counterparty risk. Tell us what it was like when everything hits the fan in ’08-’09 derivatives blowup not that you were playing in the — in the worst … BITTERLY MICHELL: Not in leveraged, no, not at all, give more … RITHOLTZ: You were really in — you’re really hedging … BITTERLY MICHELL: … risk management. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Exactly. RITHOLTZ: That’s a different sort of derivative than CDO, CMO, CDO squared, et cetera. You were basically doing a more rational … BITTERLY MICHELL: We’re helping people customize the risk return profile … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … across asset classes is the way that I think about it. And so, there’s definitely a pre and post. I mean, when you look at that pre, it was, you know, the thought counterparty risk of a bank was solid, right, like that was something. It wasn’t even question. I’m sure you remember this as well in terms of the bond market, whether you were looking at structured products, bonds, this idea that, hey, it’s issued by this bank, that bank, well-known diversified financial services institution. And then the interesting thing is before we really saw that the unwinding of risk, I mean, you saw credit spreads widen, right? You started to see credit spreads widen. RITHOLTZ: Markets sniff things out kind of — I — I hate to anthropomorphize markets, but there is a sense that some participants in the market are sniffing this out and it gets reflected in prices. BITTERLY MICHELL: You could see credit spreads widen, and it’s something you people are like, wow, that’s great, right? They’re willing to pay me more, now I’m getting a higher yield on this. And so, I think … RITHOLTZ: For a reason. BITTERLY MICHELL: … looking back, you learn from every experience, but I think that’s one of those — one of those moments in time where you’re like if something is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true and questioning why something is yielding the amount that it’s yielding. And so, living through that experience, I mean, from a personal standpoint, it was tragic, right? Like lives are completely changed across … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … obviously, the United States, the global economy. And then you saw a lot of people that you really respected really cared about. There is a massive amounts of layoffs, and so I think it was a very, very seismic shift in terms of just what we thought finance was, what we thought sales and trading was, the stability of that type of career. And so, I think from that perspective, you really realize that nothing is guaranteed. You have a lot of gratitude for being able to work in this industry. RITHOLTZ: Right, write it out. BITTERLY MICHELL: And then you also have to really make sure that people realize. And again, we carry this through to wealth management more broadly. If you don’t understand what you’re doing, you should not invest in it, right? Rick Dickinson: To — to say the very least. So from there, you rise to the position Head of Investments for North America for Citi Global Wealth. It sounds similar to a CIO role, a Chief Investment Officer. Tell us a little bit about your current role and what it involves. BITTERLY MICHELL: Sure. I love my current role. I love leading investments for — for North America, for Citi global wealth. This is an area where if you hear Jane Fraser speak, it’s — it’s an area where we’re heavily investing as an institution. One of our key objectives is to be a global leader in wealth management. And so, my mandate in leading North America is really to lead the investments organization, and so that’s a combination, Barry, to your point about the CIO role in terms of what strategy, how are we advising our clients, how are we breaking down markets. So there’s a strategy component to that. There’s a client coverage component to that, depending upon your wealth, depending upon your objectives, who are you interacting with, whether it’s an investment adviser, investment counselor or whether it’s product specialists who have deep expertise in a particular asset class or product. It’s our product organization, making sure that we’re offering the right products and solutions, how we’re analyzing what we offer to our clients, how we’re differentiating that versus the competition. And the last piece of it, which I’ve become really passionate about over the past really kind of five to 10 years of my career is the technology and platform. So if you think about some of the trends within wealth management, it’s not just about the personalization bespoke solutions, although that is something that has certainly gained a lot of popularity and grounded and is almost becoming table stakes. But there’s a big piece of it that’s digitization, right, and the platform, and how easy is it to access your advice and put capital to work. And you can see some of the trends just from the digital world, right, and that comparison. If someone’s going to do an online transaction, an online trade, that is almost like — I use the example it’s like seamless Grubhub, right, where you call up and like this idea of ordering a pizza, right, and calling a pizza plays, if you go on like on an app, and if that pizza place doesn’t open, you’re going to the next one. No one’s s calling anymore, and so those trends within our industry as to some of those experiences that our clients want was contactless, right? It should be frictionless. It should be pretty easy for me to do versus where we’re really adding value in terms of advice. So the platform digital experience and technology is really, really critical as well. RITHOLTZ: Really quite, quite interesting. So you’ve been that Citi for over 16 years. That’s a long time at any one place. Tell us about what’s kept you there for this long. BITTERLY MICHELL: It will be 17 come December. RITHOLTZ: Wow. BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah, so it’s been a — a great experience. Look, I’ve been very fortunate at Citi. I’ve had a lot of support, a lot of great people around me, a lot of great mentors, right? And I think that one of the things that Citi does remarkably well is really allows you to transition throughout your career in terms of exploring different areas of the business. And so, while you can see that concentration in markets, and sales, and trading, once I started really working with our private bank in a meaningful way, I was then able to lead teams of investment counselors and investors. I ran investments for the East Region. I then came back into capital markets and — and got to really kind of see, okay, how are we running this business and really setting to up this business for this client segment of family offices, ultra-high net worth/high net worth investors. And so, while you could see this common vein, it really has given me the ability to flex different muscles. And that’s not just me, I mean, that’s something that’s really, really common throughout our organization. And you’ll see that with a lot of people, and it doesn’t have to be all within wealth management, it can be across lines of business. So I think Citi and our culture is one of let’s keep our good people, let’s give them opportunities whether it’s in their immediate world or outside. And then the other thing that I will say is that I think culturally, it’s a very flat organization. There’s access to everyone’s accessible. And what I’ve seen that’s really special about our culture is even when we’ve had those situations or we lose people, they tend to come back. We call them boomerangs. RITHOLTZ: Right, right. I’ve heard that expression. BITTERLY MICHELL: And so, they try something else for one to two years, and then they say, “You know what? This — this place just, in terms of the access, the culture that drive to kind of grow together, do stuff as a team, it feels entrepreneurial even though we’re such an old bank, right?” RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: So that’s really what’s kept me here. And I think now that we’re embarking upon with Jane taking over as CEO, this massive focus in wealth, which is my passion as well, I am so excited for the — the next several years. RITHOLTZ: So let me make sure I understand the path that led you to Citi. You were at Bank One … BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: … right? And if I recall correctly, they were acquired by … BITTERLY MICHELL: J.P. Morgan. RITHOLTZ: … J.P. Morgan, so that’s how you ended up at J.P. Morgan. BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: Then Credit Suisse? BITTERLY MICHELL: That’s right. RITHOLTZ: What led you to go from Credit Suisse to Citi? BITTERLY MICHELL: So each part of my career, I would say, is — is something I learned a lot, I experienced a lot, so it’s like different building blocks. But the — but the Bank One/J.P. Morgan days, that was out in Chicago, so I worked out in Chicago. RITHOLTZ: Fun town. BITTERLY MICHELL: That was when — it’s a very fun town. I have a soft spot for Chicago. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: The food, we could talk about the food for a long period of time. RITHOLTZ: Oh, oh. I’m in Chicago every year for Thanksgiving, so it’s — Turkey is just where we start, then it’s … BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah, we got it … RITHOLTZ: … pizza and hotdogs and … BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah, we definitely need to get into — to pizza. RITHOLTZ: Yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: I’m a Lou Malnati’s girl. I don’t know how … RITHOLTZ: I could go Lou Malnati’s or Edwardo’s. I’m very … BITTERLY MICHELL: All right, equal — equal opportunity. RITHOLTZ: … I’m very New York open-minded in Chicago, yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: There we go. But — so in Chicago, it’s a really interesting time because if you remember that’s when Jamie Dimon was running Bank One. RITHOLTZ: Right, right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Right? So talk about a flat organization, someone who, at that moment in time, was truly a — a rising star. And he was very accessible, spends a lot of time. I always remember him being like very client-centric — very, very client-centric. So if it was a client of the firm, making himself accessible, making himself available to close those transactions, and so obviously, the rest is history in terms of J.P. Morgan acquiring … RITHOLTZ: Yeah, whatever happened to that guy? He kind of faded away. BITTERLY MICHELL: I — I don’t know. I’m a fan though. I’m a big fan. I know it’s a competing … RITHOLTZ: Hard not to be. Can I tell you something? BITTERLY MICHELL: … it’s a competing bank, but he’s a phenomenal leader. RITHOLTZ: How do you not appreciate a person who steps into that role through the takeover and just basically revitalizes the whole organization? It was very impressive. BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah, a very impressive career. And I — I admire him a lot and — and everything that — that he’s done. And so, I think then, like the transition in my own career, right, so when we were going through all of those transitions with J.P. Morgan acquiring Bank One, you know, one of the — the downsides to that talking about, you know, our — our fondness of the Citi of Chicago, there’s a lot of jobs into New York. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Right? So a lot of — what was kind of that big bank, that was like one of the last banks in — in Chicago, and trading floors, and things like that. I’m talking about diversified financial services. Obviously, we weren’t going to have two of everything, and we — we had to — to move that to New York. And so, with that experience moving to New York, I did move to — to Credit Suisse, and really that was to flex a slightly different muscle. And the job there was building out the Latin American business, selling derivatives, structured products to Latin American banks and — and broker-dealers. RITHOLTZ: So let me stop you right there. You have a background, undergraduate, your economics degree from Notre Dame, but you were dual-major Spanish language and Literature degree, how useful was that in Latin America? BITTERLY MICHELL: Or like how did you end up in finance. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: Spanish language and literature, it was incredibly useful and it’s still useful to this day. So I am a fluent Spanish speaker. I lived in Spain, I lived in Mexico. My husband is from Mexico, so I speak Spanish in my personal life. I’ve — I’ve used it in my professional life. And so, when I was covering Latin America, I will say it was a competitive advantage (inaudible). RITHOLTZ: Because everybody speaks English, but you show up speaking the local language. I have to think that’s well-received. BITTERLY MICHELL: It is well-received. And I think Americans have — have a — a reputation for not being multilingual … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … for not speaking another language. And, you know, working at a global bank like Citi where we’re constantly interacting with people from around the globe and you see how many other languages our — our colleagues speak, but at that moment in time, really kind of focusing on Latin America and then going in region, going down to Miami, being able to have meetings in Spanish. And one thing that I did have to learn though is I — so while I was fluent in Spanish, I wasn’t fluent in, let’s call it financial language Spanish. RITHOLTZ: Oh, really? BITTERLY MICHELL: And so, you start to learn things like, well, so how do you say call option, how do you say puts — so as I was like chatting with different people or communicating with different people on — on Bloomberg, let’s say, I would then, you know, put — what are they saying? What does that mean in terms of financial slang. So it was really fun because it — it developed in that part of my language skills. But most importantly, it was great because like the client base was different, their risk appetite was different. And one of the things that I learned is, you know, the difference when you look at a U.S. average, let’s say, wealth client versus someone who grew up in Latin America, someone who grew up in Latin America has — and I’m just saying on average, right … RITHOLTZ: Right.. BITTERLY MICHELL: … this isn’t a generalization, but they have a higher risk tolerance. RITHOLTZ: Sure. BITTERLY MICHELL: They’ve seen hyperinflationary environments. They understand currencies. And so, when you think of the area that I was very passionate about in derivatives, there’s a natural understanding just by growing up in an economy like that, that interest rate risk matters. F.X. risk matters. Commodity risk matters. And so, inflation really can impact, right, can severely impact your net worth. And so, it was almost like this client base grew up with a natural understanding of derivatives markets, even though maybe they didn’t recognize that it was derivatives, but there’s such an easy and it was very facile because of what they lived through, so it was definitely an advantage. But then when I ran capital markets in North America and Latin America, you can ask many of my colleagues if the dominant language is Spanish, we have meetings in Spanish. If it’s a one-on-one meeting and you find, you know, people’s personalities can be different in different languages. Their sense of humor for sure can be different, and so it’s been a great experience. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) RITHOLTZ: Complacent ROE because the dollar is the reserve currency of the world, we don’t think about currencies, we don’t usually think about inflation except since the pandemic and thought about it in 40 years. It was a little spike pre-financial crisis. But for the most part, it’s been a deflationary environment. How does working in North America with a — a client base that doesn’t have those same sort of sensitivities, how different is that in Latin America? BITTERLY MICHELL: So I would say there’s a couple of things that are really important from a — and I’ll say U.S. perspective, right? So from a U.S. perspective, how you hold your assets is just as important as what you hold, right? So the — the business of … RITHOLTZ: Meaning custodianship or … BITTERLY MICHELL: Meaning custodians, of course, like in terms of — of counterparty, but also thinking of like your wealth planning and the structure of your assets, the trusts that are available to you, how you want to think about trust and estate planning. And so, within the U.S., there’s a big focus on how do we optimize for tax efficiency, too. RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: And so, what you’ll notice is, you know, I think there’s almost this thought process that everyone wants to be an active trader. And what you realize is, yes, there are people who are sincerely interested in markets and they follow them and they’re passionate about them, but they’re also really concerned about the after tax impact of what … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … they’re doing and how they’re investing. So I think that’s a piece of it. I think your average U.S. investor, aware of interest rates, right? They’re aware of interest rates in terms of what am I earning on my deposits, kind of what the average yields and investment grade debt, and understanding mortgage rates, and — and the impact in terms of liabilities. F.X. is almost absent to a large degree, right, for the — the average investor. That being said, like I mentioned earlier, we’re a global bank, and so like one of the major advantages we have is bringing those international opportunities to our clients, to investors, and making sure that we’re not — we don’t suffer from that home bias in terms of how we’re allocating capital. And so, that’s an area where you can then combine all of these things that I’ve — that I’ve talked about, you know, what regional exposures do you want, where do you see opportunity, and do you want to take on that currency risk or do you not? And so, it’s a little bit of an educational process, but … RITHOLTZ: Sure. BITTERLY MICHELL: … but it’s — it’s different, right? It’s different wealth regimes, it’s different tax regimes. And so, a lot of that will drive the decision-making process as well. RITHOLTZ: So let’s stay in the U.S. and — and stay with structures and how you hold assets. What sort of an appetite do you seem — I’m sure clients — for traditional alternatives like hedge funds venture capital and private equity? BITTERLY MICHELL: It’s interesting because that’s something that has changed substantially over the past, let’s say even 12 months, right? RITHOLTZ: It — it feels like it, yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: I — I think there’s a little bit of a shift going on. And I think you have to separate out. If we think of alternatives maybe in three different buckets, private equity — and I’ll put private credit in there as well, private equity credit, real estate, and then hedge funds. We have seen strong, strong demand pretty consistently for building out alternatives, portfolios, particularly when it comes to opportunities with great financial sponsors on the private equity side, looking at these long-term secular trends, right? And I think one of the interesting trends that we’ve seen year-to-date is really, well, people have been conservatively positioned, really kind of shocked by the start to the year that we’ve had … RITHOLTZ: Sure. BITTERLY MICHELL: … one of the worst ones on record when we look at both equities and fixed income being in tandem down over, you know, 10 percent … RITHOLTZ: Got to go back to ’81 to see the same sort of thing. BITTERLY MICHELL: … there — exactly, exactly. So pretty intense start to the year, but where clients were consistently allocating capital was in private markets. And I think, you know, part of that is this ability to take a long-term view, right? So short-term, we know some of these changes that we’re going through, we’re nervous about what the Fed’s trajectory is going to be. I think Friday may have cleared that up a little bit in Jackson Hole, however, you know, what happens next year, right? So what happens next year, but being able to take a view out five, seven, 10 years much easier. So I think that those flows into private equity, in particular, have remained really strong. RITHOLTZ: So let’s talk about that because a year ago the Fed was at zero, you couldn’t get yield anywhere except for places like private equity and structured credit and structured notes, et cetera, et cetera. Now, what is the 10 year? We’re recording this, it’s 3.20, 3.25 … BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: … something like that. And you can get yield, and if we want to look at munis on a — on a tax-adjusted basis … BITTERLY MICHELL: You’re looking at high single-digits depending upon your state. RITHOLTZ: … it’s almost respectable, right? BITTERLY MICHELL: Yeah. RITHOLTZ: So — so what do you think that’s going to do? And I — I — I don’t like to ask people for predictions and forecasts, but you’re looking at the flows and you get client questions all the time. Do you think that we’ve had this amazing run in structured products in private equity because yields were so low? Now that yields are higher, what might that do to — to demand for those products? BITTERLY MICHELL: So what we’ve seen is that, absolutely, bonds are back so thinking through what was a not in Vogue last year or the year before, and this was our advice, too, in — in terms of advising our clients as, you know, having an overweight exposure to fixed income just didn’t make sense over the past couple of years. You’re — you’re talking … RITHOLTZ: What (inaudible) at the end of a 40-year bull market in bonds you don’t want to be overweight fixed income? BITTERLY MICHELL: You don’t want to be overweight and when, you know, 40 percent of the world’s government debt is negative yielding, you know … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … maybe not exactly the best, which actually created some really difficult … RITHOLTZ: Yeah. BITTERLY MICHELL: … difficult situations for those who were retiring, right, and those … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … that market was really tough because you’re like, wait, I need to be overweight equities to get the returns that I’m looking for. But, you know, traditional investment advice is telling me I should pull back on some of that risk, so that created some interesting dynamics. But I think this year, what we’re seeing is, on the private equity alternative site, it’s really playing that long game. So that ability to kind of see longer-term and what I think is going to really have some legs and separate the noise short-term as are we going to have a recession, are we not going to have a recession? When it comes to fixed income though, we’re seeing now all of a sudden you went from a situation where your cash was yielding nothing, right? And … RITHOLTZ: Right. BITTERLY MICHELL: … and now you’re even looking at whether it’s short duration, intermediate duration, you’re now looking at yields that are mid-single-digits, right, on investment grade. And so, what we’ve seen is it doesn’t completely combat, right? It doesn’t entirely combat that impac.....»»