Donald Trump enters courtroom to hear charges against him

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The former president's campaign fundraising team have a new bit of merchandise on offer today: "not guilty" T-shirts featuring a fake Trump mugshot.

In an email to supporters, they ask for a minimum donation of $47 for a "free" shirt.

A Trump 2024 campaign aide has previously said that they have raised $7m after his indictment.

Only five photographers will be allowed in the courtroom with Donald Trump ahead of the hearing, and only still photographs are allowed to be taken. No video.

Experts predict Trump's meeting with the judge to be brief, as he and his legal team have already read through the indictment.

As we wait for the arraignment to get underway, here is a look at the historic trip Trump took a short while ago as he travelled from Trump Tower to a courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg - who is prosecuting Donald Trump - was just seen entering the courtroom.

It remains unclear if he will remain in the room for the hearing. If he does, he will be seated in the front row.

We’re aware that the jargon involved in legal reporting can be overwhelming at times - so, for this case, we’ve put together a helpful glossary of all the terms being used to describe what Donald Trump’s accused of and how we got to this point.

Arraignment: This is what Trump faces today - it’s a court hearing where someone is formally presented with the charges against them. Afterwards, the defendant is asked whether they will plead guilty or not guilty. A judge then decides whether they should be released on bail or taken into custody.

Indictment: This is what kicked this all off last week - it’s a formal written accusation that a person has committed a crime. It typically involves felony charges, though not always. Unlike regular charges from a prosecutor, an indictment is the result of a secret vote by a grand jury.

Grand jury: A group of citizens that hear evidence from a prosecutor. They vote in secret about whether they believe there is enough evidence to charge a person with a crime. Any subsequent criminal trial is held with another jury.

Felonies: Crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or more.

Under seal: A procedure in which details of the charges, including what they are and how many, are filed with the court without becoming a matter of public record.

AFPCopyright: AFP

As Trump goes through the formal process of being arrested, there are a limited number of people on the 15th floor of the courthouse where he will be arraigned.

Secret service, police officers and a select few members of the media linger inside, waiting for Trump to enter the courtroom.

He is expected to make a short, brief statement before entering at around 14:15 (19:15 BST).

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

There is considerable uncertainty as to whether the former president will have to pose for a mugshot.

On Monday one of Trump's attorneys, Alina Habba, told CNN that he should not be subjected to a mugshot as his is "the most recognised face in the world" and that the purpose of a mugshot was for identification.

And on Tuesday, reports in US media suggested that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had decided there was no need to put the 76-year-old through the mugshot process.

Were the photo to take place, there is no guarantee the public will ever see it. Under New York State law, the former president would have to give his approval to its release, though US media have suggested he is not opposed to its publication.

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Unsurprisingly, the White House has declined to comment about Trump's indictment and arrest in New York.

Today's daily press briefing began with other matters - primarily Finland joining Nato, but also technology companies, gun violence and the arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter in Russia.

Soon, however, came the first question about Trump's indictment.

"This is an ongoing case and we're just not going to comment," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "The president is going to focus on the American people, like he does every day."

Jean-Pierre noted that with "hours and hours" of news coverage being dedicated to Trump's indictment, "he will catch part of the news".

"But this is not his focus," she added.

Donald Trump will be arraigned within the next hour at the courthouse in Manhattan.

He'll be fingerprinted and the standard arrest paperwork will be completed. He'll then appear in front of a judge who will read him the full list of charges.

His legal team earlier said he would not be handcuffed. That's likely because of his large Secret Service detail, which means he is unlikely to try and escape or harm anyone (the usual reasons someone is handcuffed).

Here are the possible ways his case could play out.

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The former president travelled to the courtroom in a vehicle with members of his Secret Service detail, a person briefed on his travel plans told The New York Times' Maggie Haberman.

Haberman also reports that Trump's lawyers in this case - Susan Necheles and the freshly-picked Todd Blanche - followed in a second car, while campaign aides Jason Miller and Walt Nauta were in a third car.

Towards the end of the drive, shortly before he got to the courthouse, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Quote Message: Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!" from Donald Trump, en route to court

Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"

Donald Trump has just entered the courthouse for his arraignment, but swarms of media and spectators who flocked to the front of the building on this sunny afternoon in New York will have missed him.

It seems the former president, who was likely to have been flanked by Secret Service officials, entered through a more discreet entrance while at least a dozen NYPD officers guarded the front of the courthouse.

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Helicopters are buzzing overhead and protesters and supporters are shouting from behind barricades as Donald Trump arrives here.

Police are bringing members of the the media inside, a sign that the day's main events are getting under way.

Donald Trump is now making his way to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Here's what will happen when he arrives:

• He will be processed by officials, which involves taking his fingerprints, taking his details and checking for any outstanding arrest warrants or charges
• Trump will then enter the courtroom and the charges will be read out and he will plead either guilty or not guilty
• He is then expected to be released on bail. He is scheduled to return to Florida later in the evening

The former president's six-mile (9.6km) journey from Trump Tower to the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building is a major security operation that involves large numbers of police and US Secret Service agents.

The motorcade appears to be sticking to one major southward route from Midtown Manhattan to Lower Manhattan.

The vehicles are occupying two lanes as they navigate along the highway.

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A motorcade of about 10 cars, including a police escort, is now making its way down to Lower Manhattan.

The convoy includes New York police and fire personnel.

The roads have apparently been cleared of traffic, meaning the journey time could be as little as 20 minutes.

Helicopter footage - which you can view at the top of this page - shows the motorcade travelling south.