Trump indictment latest: Trump ‘won’t take plea deal’ as he heads to New York to be booked on 30+ counts

NBC News reports that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office initially wanted Donald Trump to turn himself in today.

The network cites the former president’s attorney Joe Tacopina.

Mr Tacopina says he and other aides pushed back on the request saying that the Secret Service needed more time to prepare.

It’s the question everyone is asking, and The Independent’s John Bowden is here to answer it.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, regarding the indictment of Donald Trump, says: “The unprecedented indictment of a former president of the U.S. for a campaign finance issue is an outrage and I think it’s clear to the overwhelming majority of the American people this is nothing short of a political prosecution.”

Further, Mr Pence says it sends a terrible message to the wider world about American justice, “because I have to tell you there are dictators and authoritarians around the world that will point to that to justify their own abuse of their own so-called justice system”.

After years of investigations, blind alleys, dead ends and false starts, prosecutors in New York City have obtained an indictment against former president Donald Trump.

But Mr Trump may soon have more to worry about than the case against him in the city he once called home because the Manhattan DA’s office is not the only set of law enforcement officials pursuing investigations into his conduct.

In addition to Mr Trump, his family business, real estate interests, and political allies are also under scrutiny from federal investigators, state attorneys, and members of Congress.

Alex Woodward is keeping track of the key probes involving the former president and where they currently stand:

Alex Woodward reports from Midtown Manhattan:

The morning after the announcement of a criminal indictment against Donald Trump, news crews are parked across the street from his namesake skyscraper on Fifth Avenue. Half a dozen cameras are stationed outside Prada and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Outside Trump Tower itself – where the former president launched his 2016 campaign after descending the “golden escalators” – one NYPD officer hangs out alongside the doorman.

The building is still open to the public. Tourists passing by either don’t notice where they are or stop briefly for a photo and keep walking.

Donald Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina tells CBS that it is his understanding that Secret Service protocol dictates whether the former president would be put in handcuffs, and he would not.

However, he adds that it is a matter for the Secret Service and not a legal team issue.

Talks continue with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office on other fronts.

While there was plenty of anticipation for an upcoming Trump indictment due to Trump’s claims, it still shocked many. An audible gasp could be heard on Fox News as they broke the news. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported that the news of the Manhattan Grand Jury indictment surprised Trump and his team at Mar-a-Lago. Even after all the noise they made about a looming arrest, the Trump team apparently thought the upcoming month-long grand jury pause meant no indictment was imminent. They were wrong.

White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre told reporters that President Joe Biden found out about the indictment against his predecessor as everyone else did, from news organisations.

“We found out, all of us, including the president, found out about the news yesterday, just like every American, through the news reports.”

She added that his Chief of Staff Jeff Zients was with him when the news broke.

Rep Greene also says she plans to be in New York on Tuesday to protest.

President Joe Biden has declined to weigh in on the unprecedented criminal charges against his predecessor, continuing his administration’s practice of not discussing ongoing criminal investigations or pending criminal cases.

The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports.