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Former President Trump Hires Former Federal Prosecutor to Lead Defense Ahead of Arraignment
Former President Donald Trump is expanding his legal team ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday, hiring former assistant U.S. attorney Todd Blanche to lead his defense, sources said. Blanche, a white-collar defense attorney who recently resigned from his law firm, has previously represented high-profile clients like Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Igor Fruman, an ex-associate to Rudy Giuliani.
Blanche is expected to travel with Trump from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan to the courthouse in lower Manhattan on Tuesday. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned following a probe into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who has alleged an affair with the former president.
Security Measures and Preparations for Arraignment
As the city gears up for Trump’s arraignment, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were no credible threats, but there may be some disruptions, including traffic and street closures. NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the police would increase their presence and encouraged people to use mass transit whenever possible. Sewell also warned that any protests should be peaceful and orderly, and that violence and vandalism would not be tolerated.
Rallying Behind the Grand Jury’s Decision
Democrats have unsurprisingly rallied behind the grand jury’s decision, with almost nine in 10 Democrats believing that Trump should have been charged in the investigation. According to the poll, around 45% of Americans believe that Trump should have been charged with a crime in this case, while 32% did not think so and 23% were undecided. Trump has long denied the allegations.
