Local media reported that police had been stationed exterior the entrance gate of Mar-a-Lago a couple of hours earlier than the previous president was indicted by a New York grand jury.

A number of dozen individuals additionally reportedly confirmed as much as supply assist to Mr Trump, waving Trump and MAGA flags.

The crowd performed the tune “God Bless the USA”, CNN reported.

Mr Trump is the primary former president in US historical past to face legal costs after the Manhattan grand jury investigating his function in a hush cash fee to grownup movie star Stormy Daniels voted to indict him.

He was indicted on costs of falsifying enterprise information stemming from funds he made to Ms Daniels to stop her from revealing an affair he had together with her earlier than the 2016 election. He is anticipated to give up himself to prosecutors subsequent week and has vowed to combat the fees, as he prepares for one more presidential run.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the previous president referred to as key allies on Capitol Hill to shore up assist earlier than his indictment – together with members of House GOP management and lawmakers.

It was reported that Mr Trump instructed his allies that he plans to combat the fees.

“This is literally legal voodoo, this is political persecution, this is a combination of political hatred and selective prosecution on steroids,” Republican senator Lindsey Graham mentioned on Fox News.

He added: “Give the president some money to fight this bulls**t.”

Meanwhile, prosecutor Alvin Bragg mentioned in an announcement on Thursday that his workplace has been in contact with Mr Trump’s attorneys over the previous president’s give up.

“This evening we contacted Mr Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan DA’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” Mr Bragg mentioned.

“For the first time in our country’s history, a president (current or former) of the United States has been indicted. I take no pride in issuing this statement and wish to also remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause,” Michael Cohen mentioned.

The costs from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg come as Trump seeks the Republican nomination to run once more in 2024.

The particular costs usually are not but recognized, because the indictment stays underneath seal. CNN reported Trump faces greater than 30 counts associated to enterprise fraud.

Trump mentioned he was “completely innocent” and indicated he wouldn’t drop out of the race. He accused Bragg, a Democrat, of attempting to harm his possibilities of successful re-election.

“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” he mentioned in an announcement.

Shortly after, Trump appealed to supporters to supply cash for a authorized defence. He has raised over $2 million, in keeping with his marketing campaign, since he incorrectly predicted on March 18 that he could be arrested 4 days later.

The costs will possible be unsealed by a decide within the coming days. Trump should journey to Manhattan for fingerprinting and different processing at that time.

Bragg’s workplace mentioned it had contacted Trump’s legal professional to coordinate a give up, which a courtroom official mentioned would possible happen subsequent Tuesday.

Trump’s legal professionals Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina mentioned they may “vigorously fight” the fees.

The Manhattan investigation is one in all a number of authorized challenges going through Trump.

Bragg efficiently prosecuted Trump’s enterprise final yr on tax-fraud costs, resulting in a $1.61 million legal penalty.

The presiding decide in that case, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, is anticipated to supervise this case as effectively, in keeping with an individual conversant in the matter.

The costs may damage Trump’s presidential comeback try, because the mug shot from his arraignment and any visuals from his courtroom appearances may present fodder for rivals.

Trump may use the case to stoke anger amongst his core supporters, although different Republican voters would possibly tire of the drama.

Some 44% of Republicans mentioned he ought to drop out of the race if he’s indicted, in keeping with a Reuters/Ipsos ballot launched final week.

Trump’s allies and fellow Republicans blasted the indictment as politically motivated, whereas Democrats mentioned he isn’t immune from the rule of legislation.

Even potential presidential rivals voiced assist for Trump. “This will only serve to divide our country,” Trump’s former vice chairman Mike Pence mentioned on CNN.

The White House declined to remark.

Outside the courthouse, a number of protesters silently held indicators criticizing Trump. Authorities bolstered safety across the courthouse after Trump referred to as for nationwide protests on March 18, recalling his charged rhetoric forward of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Daniels, whose actual identify is Stephanie Clifford, has mentioned she obtained cash in alternate for protecting silent a few sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.

The former president’s private lawyer Michael Cohen has mentioned he coordinated with Trump on the funds to Daniels and to a second lady, former Playboy mannequin Karen McDougal, who additionally mentioned she had a sexual relationship with him. Trump has denied having affairs with both lady.

Trump in 2018 initially disputed realizing something in regards to the fee to Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the fee, which he referred to as a “simple private transaction.”

“No one is above the law,” Daniels’ lawyer Clark Brewster mentioned on Twitter.

Cohen pleaded responsible to a campaign-finance violation in 2018 and served greater than a yr in jail. Federal prosecutors mentioned he acted at Trump’s path.

Cohen mentioned he stood by his testimony and the proof he offered to prosecutors. “Accountability matters,” he mentioned in an announcement.

No former or sitting U.S. president has ever confronted legal costs.

Aside from this case, Trump faces two legal investigations by a particular counsel appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and one other legal probe by an area prosecutor in Georgia.

Trump has escaped authorized peril quite a few instances. In the White House, he weathered two makes an attempt by Congress to take away him from workplace, together with for the Jan. 6, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, in addition to a years-long probe into his marketing campaign’s contacts with Russia in 2016.

In final yr’s tax-fraud case, Bragg focused Trump’s enterprise however declined to cost Trump himself with monetary crimes, prompting two prosecutors who labored on the probe to resign.

In the hush-money case, authorized specialists say that Bragg may need to depend on untested authorized theories to argue Trump falsified enterprise information to cowl up different crimes, similar to violating federal campaign-finance legislation.

Trump leads his early rivals for his get together’s nomination, holding the assist of 44% of Republicans in a March Reuters/Ipsos ballot, in contrast with 30% assist for his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has but to announce his candidacy. President Joe Biden is anticipated to hunt re-election.