In a first, ex-US Prez to appear in court to face criminal charges

New York: Former US president Donald Trump, also the frontrunner to become the Republican nominee in 2024, will appear in court and is set to be formally charged, finger-printed and have a mug shot taken ahead of next year's presidential election.

Trump was indicted last week, becoming the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges, over a case involving a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. He has said he is innocent and is due to plead not guilty.

Trump arrived in his plane — painted in red, white and blue with "TRUMP" in big letters — arrived at LaGuardia Airport in Queens from West Palm Beach near his Florida home. He will will turn himself in on Tuesday amid tight security as demonstrations were expected for and against him.

Beefing up his legal team, Donald Trump hired Todd Blanche, a prominent white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, to join his defense, two sources familiar with the matter said. Blanche and other Trump lawyers on Monday urged the judge not to allow videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment.

In a letter to the court, they argued against allowing such coverage, saying it would "exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case" and "detract from both the dignity and decorum of the proceedings and courtroom."

Besides the hush-money case in which he has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump faces indictment in at least three other criminal investigations that are currently ongoing. Read about the other three cases here

Meanwhile, Trump will try to turn his indictment to his advantage by stoking anger among core supporters over what they see as the weaponization of the justice system, though it may also push more Republicans tired of the drama around him to look for another presidential candidate. The prosecution of a former president is unprecedented in U.S. history. But his supporters view it as politically motivated, and it may only harden their resolve to back him in the 2024 Republican primary, rank-and-file Republican voters, party officials and political analysts told news agency Reuters.