Trump indictment: Trump faces some 2 dozen counts, including felonies, sources say
Trump has become the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.
Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.
It was not immediately clear what the indictment was connected to, or what charges Trump will face. The indictment is under seal.
Trump is expected to surrender in New York City early this week, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Latest headlines:
- America split on Trump indictment: Poll
- Trump expected to travel to New York on Monday
- Why Trump indictment might hinge on a 'novel legal theory'
- Trump faces around 2 dozen counts, including felonies, sources say
- Ivanka Trump speaks out
- Trump has 'never been held accountable,' Cohen says
- Trump expected to surrender in New York early next week: Sources
America split on Trump indictment: Poll
While 45% of Americans believe former President Donald Trump should face charges in an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, 32% say he shouldn't have been indicted, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.
Another 23% of American say they don't know whether the nation's 45th president should face charges.
While the charges have not been announced, a Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump had been hearing evidence in a $130,000 hush money payment Trump allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims they had an affair. Trump has denied the allegations.
The poll showed a split in opinions along party lines. While 88% of Democrats said Trump should face charges, 62%, of Republicans said the former president should not have been charged while 16% said he should be charged, and the remainder was uncertain.
About 47% of Americans polled say the charges are politically motivated, echoing the sentiment from top GOP figures. About 79% of Republicans hold that view.
-ABC News' Brittany Shepherd
Trump's lawyer hopes his arraignment is 'typical' and quick
Trump's lawyer said on Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that he doesn't know what to expect when the former president is arraigned on Tuesday in New York City, given the historic nature of Trump's indictment.
"This is unprecedented. I don't know. I've done a million arraignments in that courthouse with celebrities and whatnot. But this is a whole different thing. We have Secret Service involved. I understand they're closing the courthouse for the afternoon. I just don't know what to expect to see," Joe Tacopina told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.
He likened the case to "persecution" and said the charges, which remain under seal, "revolved around" Trump paying money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep her from going public with a claim of an affair that Trump denies.
He told Stephanopoulos that he didn't know whether Trump would hold a press conference on Tuesday after he is arraigned.
"What I hope is that we get in and out of there as quickly as possible, that it's, at the end of the day, a typical arraignment," he said.
-ABC News' Tal Axelrod
Trump expected to travel to New York on Monday
Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday at the earliest, the sources said, on what is expected to be around two dozen counts - including felonies.
The exact charges are unknown since the indictment will not be unsealed until Trump appears in court.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Katherine Faulders, John Santucci
Why Trump indictment might hinge on a 'novel legal theory'
As legal experts speculate on what charges lay inside the sealed indictment ahead of former President Donald Trump's expected surrender on Tuesday afternoon, many predict that prosecutors could try out a new legal theory to justify bringing the charges.
"This could be a novel legal theory," said Kate Shaw, a law professor at Cardozo and ABC News contributor, speculating on what charges the public could see against Trump while stressing it's unknown until the indictment is unsealed.
Read more here.
-ABC News' Libby Cathey
Trump has 'never been held accountable,' Cohen says
Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen said the ex-president is likely "seething" over the indictment because he's "never been held accountable."
"The fact that he is being held accountable, something that he has no desire to ever be. He's never been held accountable," Cohen told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America."
"This is a man who held up the Bible and said he's never apologized to God because he's never done anything wrong," he added. "He doesn't understand accountability. And right now, [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg has finally put that into his lap."
Cohen, who is now estranged from Trump and is a key prosecution witness, said he decided years ago that his "loyalty can no longer be to a man who doesn't deserve it."
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2018, after pleading guilty to violating federal campaign finance law in connection with hush-money payments and lying to Congress, among other crimes.
During Friday's interview on "GMA," Cohen said he followed Trump's "message" for more than a decade and "that is what got me in trouble."
When asked if he feels ready to be cross-examined, Cohen replied: "Absolutely."
"The documents will speak for themselves," he added, referring to the sealed indictment.
"So, not just your testimony?" Stephanopoulos responded.
"No," Cohen said. "And it's also corroborating testimony, but it's documents."