Donald Trump demands defunding of FBI and Justice Department

Donald Trump has called for Republicans in Congress to defund the Department of Justice and the FBI “until they come to their senses”, less than a day after his arrest.

Posting on his social media site, Truth Social, he said: “Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses. The Democrats have totally weaponised law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our elections!”

In another post, he described his indictment as “morally disgusting” and added it had “NO MERIT” and “is not even a case”.

Mr Trump’s comments came after his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, pushed back on claims that the former president was inciting violence against the judge during his speech in Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday evening, when he called Justice Juan Merchen “the real criminal”.

Mr Tacopina told NBC this morning: "No one is suggesting anything should happen to the judge or his family, and President Trump's comments did not, in any way, shape or form, incite violence against the judge or anyone else."

Follow the latest news here and catch up on every development in yesterday’s court appearance here.

03:10 PM

That's all for today

Here is a summary of today's stories.

• Donald Trump has called for Republicans in Congress to defund the Department of Justice and the FBI “until they come to their senses", less than a day after his arrest.

• Mr Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina claimed the ex-president is "not doing anything to try and incite violence", following the comments Mr Trump made concerning the judge presiding over his case on Tuesday.

• Trump-backed Republican candidate for Arizona governor in 2022 Kari Lake accused critics of “non-stop bullying” of the former president.

• Several members of Donald Trump's family attended his speech at the Mar-a-Lago estate in a show of familial support, but Melania Trump, the former First Lady, was not in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom nor the New York courthouse earlier on Tuesday.

Catch up on all of today’s developments below.

02:12 PM

‘Defund the Department of Justice and FBI until they come to their senses’ says Trump

Donald Trump has called for Republicans in Congress to defund the Department of Justice and the FBI “until they come to their senses, less than a day after his arraignment hearing.

Posting on his social media site, Truth Social, with ‘caps lock’ on, he said: “Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses. The Democrats have totally weaponised law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our elections!”

In another post also uploaded this morning, he described his indictment as “morally disgusting” and added it had “NO MERIT” and “is not even a case”.

01:43 PM

The curious Donald Trump lovechild claim hidden in the case against him

Did Donald Trump have a secret love child with his housekeeper?

Probably not. But his team's handling of that lurid but poorly sourced claim is a surprise admission in the prosecutors' case against the former president, writes Roland Oliphant.

It's worth making clear that not even prosecutors are claiming the original story is true.

It is entirely unconfirmed, the woman in question denies it, and the only source’s ex-wife has described him as the kind of man who claims to have seen Bigfoot.

Read the full story here

01:34 PM

Trump's lawyers push back on inciting violence claims

Donald Trump's lawyer claimed the ex-president is "not doing anything to try and incite violence", following the comments Mr Trump made concerning the judge presiding over his case on Tuesday.

During his speech in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom on Tuesday evening, the former leader claimed he had "a Trump-hating judge" in New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.

Mr Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina told NBC this morning: "No one is suggesting anything should happen to the judge or his family, and President Trump's comments did not, in any way, shape or form, incite violence against the judge or anyone else." 

12:45 PM

'TRUMPED UP': New York Post releases front page

12:21 PM

Pictured: The members of the Trump clan who showed up in support in Mar-a-Lago

Several members of Donald Trump's family attended his speech at the Mar-a-Lago estate in a show of familial support, but there were some notable absences.

Eric Trump and his wife Lara, Donald Trump Jr. and his fiance Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos were all present in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom.

Melania Trump's father, Viktor Knavs, also attended, however Melania herself did not make an appearance. Barron Trump, the couple's 17-year-old son, and the former president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump also missed the event.

11:51 AM

Kremlin refuses to comment on Trump affair

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it would not comment on the indictment of former American president Donald Trump.

"We will not comment on this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said following a question by reporters.

"We do not believe we have the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the United States, and the United States is not entitled to interfere in our internal affairs," he said.

Mr Trump had expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin and had been accused of trying to create a rapprochement with Moscow during his presidency.

He has recently repeated that Russia's offensive in Ukraine would not have taken place if he was still in power.

US intelligence services had accused Russia of interference in the 2016 US elections, including with the use of social media, to support Trump's campaign.

Russia has denied the allegations.

10:50 AM

'No-nonsense' judge hits Trump where it hurts - his social media

From the comfort of his Midtown hotel room, Donald Trump posted to his social media followers on Tuesday morning that the case against him was a politically motivated witch hunt.

It was a clear injustice, he wrote, defiantly, “THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!"

Just a few hours later, however, the former president of the United States was on his way to answer 34 felony charges at Manhattan’s criminal court and facing possible jail time.

Read this report from Josie Ensor for a view from inside the Manhattan Criminal Court. 

10:31 AM

Upcoming key dates in the Trump case

So what next for Donald Trump and his lawyers?

Prosecutors have said that they expect to produce the bulk of the discovery within the next 65 days following Tuesday's arraignment, CNN reports.

The legal team for the former president has a deadline of August 8 to file any motions, with the prosecution to respond by September 19.

Mr Trump's next hearing is scheduled for December 4, when Judge Juan Merchan is to rule on the motions.

10:08 AM

Kari Lake: “It has been a non-stop bullying of President Trump”

Trump-backed Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election Kari Lake has accused critics of “non-stop bullying” of the former president.

“It has been a non-stop bullying of President Trump. The only crime he committed was beating Hilary Clinton and humiliating Hilary Clinton,” the politician once tipped to be Mr Trump’s running mate for 2024 told US channel Newsmax.

“We want President Trump. We want him in the White House. We want him leading this country and getting us back on strong footing on a world stage.”

Ms Lake is a high-profile 2020 election denier, and in her own failed election campaign to become Arizona governor described herself as “Trump in a dress". She has refused to concede her own defeat.

Ms Lake, who appeared to be speaking from the Mar-a-Lago ballroom on Tuesday night, said: “I think at the end of the day Americans are going to vote for him in droves, like they did in 2020, but in even bigger numbers and it’s going to be even harder to cheat him out of this next election.”

09:51 AM

How strong is the case against Trump and could he go to jail?

Donald Trump runs the risk of jail time if he is convicted of falsifying business records to aid his campaign, a legal expert has warned.

Manhattan prosecutors have accused the former president of 34 separate felonies linked to hush money payments made on his behalf to block stories about alleged affairs – which Mr Trump has denied, writes David Millward.

“These are felony charges,” Kami Chavis, director of the William & Mary Centre for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform, told The Telegraph.

“In the United States any criminal charges, or acts that subject you to a loss of your liberty is a serious charge."

Read more of the legal expert's analysis of the Trump case here.

09:35 AM

'They just handed him the 2024 election': Supporters praise Trump after arrest

09:15 AM

Donald Trump carried out 'catch and kill' schemes to bury 'affairs'

Donald Trump operated a “catch and kill” scheme to bury negative stories about himself for more than two years at the time of the 2016 presidential election, a New York court was told.

As well as paying off two alleged lovers, including the porn actress Stormy Daniels, Mr Trump arranged for a former Trump Tower doorman to be given $30,000 (£24,000) to hush up a story about an illegitimate child, it is claimed. Three people were allegedly paid a total of $310,000 (£248,000).

The payments began in August 2015, the court heard, and carried on until December 2017, leaving a “trail of money and lies”, according to district attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr.

Read more from Associate Editor Gordon Rayner here.

08:58 AM

In pictures: Small group of protestors show up in support of Trump in Los Angeles

08:28 AM

The Mar-a-Lago merry-go-round where Trump redrew his battle lines

Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” played over the loudspeakers as Mr Trump walked out into the brightly-lit ballroom, surrounded by family, donors and fee-paying members of his private club, writes Rozina Sabur.

But outside the gilded Mar-a-Lago mansion where his most ardent supporters had gathered the party was just dying down.

Mr Trump had been greeted by legions of admirers lining the streets from Palm Beach airport to his beachfront estate after touching down in Florida on his red, white and blue private jet.

Read more from The Telegraph's Washington editor's report from Mar-a-Lago here.

08:14 AM

‘On a sad day of spectacle, a nation is left to wonder how it came to this’: America reacts to historic Trump arraignment

“Sad and pathetic not just for Trump, but for the country,” lamented chief correspondent Dan Balz on the front page of Wednesday’s Washington Post, following the ex-president’s arraignment on Tuesday.

“From the moment he walked down the golden escalator at Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, Donald Trump has been the man the world could not stop watching. So he was again Tuesday, a day that epitomised the perverse fascination with the former president and the degree to which he has debased the high office he once held.”

Meanwhile, in the New York Times’ front page analysis, correspondent Charlie Savage described the case against Mr Trump as “risky”, though bolstered by the “surprise accusation” that business records had been falsified “in part for a plan to deceive state tax authorities”.

06:56 AM

The Telegraph View

Mr Trump is nothing if not unembarrassable. He is using what many would regard as a tawdry business to boost his profile as he seeks the Republican nomination for another shot at the White House next year.

He has raised more money for his campaign since being threatened with arrest and his detractors fear the appearance of a witch-hunt will improve his chances of winning the nomination next spring. But while Mr Trump may have solidified his base vote, independent-minded Americans are likely to be appalled to see a former president facing criminal charges.

Read today's The Telegraph View in full: 'The Trump circus returns'

06:51 AM

Recapping a day of high drama

Washington Editor Rozina Sabur was at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump's beachside mansion, last night.

Read her report on Mr Trump's choreographed rally-style press conference, here. 

06:26 AM

Trump dominates UK front pages

05:46 AM

Today's Telegraph Front Page: 'Trump under arrest'

05:33 AM

What happens next?

Mr Trump's next hearing is set to take place on December 4.

The trial is due to be held in Manhattan, where he fared badly in the 2020 presidential election, winning only 22.6 per cent of votes cast. His legal team want the trial shifted to the more conservative borough of Staten Island.

If convicted on felony charges of falsifying business records to commit another offence, such as violating campaign finance laws, the former president faces a potential four-year jail term.

But experts believe there is no chance, even if convicted on these charges, of Mr Trump being sent to prison. He does not have a criminal record and the alleged offences are non-violent.

Read the full explainer by David Millward here

04:18 AM

In case you missed it: These are the charges

The indictment against Donald Trump has been unsealed and details 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors have accused the former president of directing three different instances of hush-money payments to cover up alleged affairs.

They revealed in court yesterday that one of the allegations is that Mr Trump paid $30,000 to silence a doorman who claimed to have a story about a secret child fathered by the former president.

Another payment is a $130,000 sum allegedly made to former porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Mr Trump.

The money was paid by Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s lawyer and long-time fixer. The story was killed. Two years later, Mr Cohen was jailed for three years on eight counts, including tax fraud and campaign finance violations.

Mr Trump has continuously denied he had any sexual contact with Ms Daniels.

For a helpful explainer on the meaning of the charges and possible penalties, see this story here.  You can also read the full indictment document below:

03:43 AM

Melania kept a distance

Many of Donald Trump's closest allies smiled and waved for the cameras, however some family members did not show up for the party.

Melania Trump, the former First Lady, was not in the New York courthouse nor in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom for her husband's speech.

Neither were Barron Trump, the couple's 17-year-old son, and Ivanka Trump, Mr Trump's eldest daughter.

Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany Trump celebrated at the event where their father defended the 34 charges he faces after being arrested in New York. Eric Trump travelled with Mr Trump's entourage from Florida for the historic court proceedings but other family members kept a distance.

Mrs Trump was last photographed with her husband on Thursday when they hosted a party at Mar-a-Lago:

02:56 AM

Key takeaway: Trump spoke a lot about the classified documents case

Nick Allen writes: One of the biggest takeaways from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago speech was how much he spoke, not about the Stormy Daniels hush-money case, but another investigation entirely.

He devoted much of his time to justifying his actions handling classified documents.

Jack Smith, a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, is looking into whether Mr Trump broke the law when he took documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago after he left office.

In August, FBI agents seized thousands of government records, some marked as highly classified, from Mar-a-Lago.
In his speech Mr Trump repeatedly referred to Mr Smith as a "lunatic".

He also complained that Mr Smith was "threatening" members of his staff.

It suggested that Mr Trump and his legal team believe he could face more legal jeopardy in that case, rather than in the one he has been indicted on in New York.

02:05 AM

The show is over

Donald Trump leaves no doubt his 25-minute speech was designed to stir up support for his presidential bid.

Mr Trump says there is “a very dark cloud over our beloved country”.

He continues: “I have no doubt, nevertheless, that we will make America great again. God bless you. And God bless America. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.”

There is jubilation from supporters who stand, clapping. And outside, a crowd of people decked out in “Trump won” flags, bejeweled baseball caps emblazoned with the ex-president’s name, cheers and blares music as if they were at a party.

01:52 AM

Indictment 'ridiculous'

Mr Trump is now addressing the 34 criminal charges laid in New York, quipping that they were levelled against him during a quick trip to a city that used to be great. He called the indictment "ridiculous".

"They can't beat us through the ballot box so they try to beat us through the law," he says, again blaming the "radical Left" and claiming the charges were an attempt to interfere with his election hopes.

He also appears to to be giving the judge who oversaw his arraignment short shrift. Judge Juan Merchan warned Mr Trump against his use of inflammatory rhetoric in court today. Mr Trump tells supporters he had a “Trump -hating judge”.

01:48 AM

Trump family in 'hell'

Mr Trump’s tone shifts as he goes on to discuss his family, Rozina Sabur writes from Mar-a-Lago.

“I have a great family,” he said, discussing his two eldest sons, and then his daughter Ivanka and his youngest son Barron.

They’ve put us through “hell”, Mr Trump says of New York prosecutors.

01:41 AM

Rozina Sabur reports from Mar-a-Lago:

Mr Trump is discussing one of the other criminal cases facing him - his retention of classified records after leaving the White House.

A short distance from where he is speaking is the storage cupboard where some of the classified documents were found.

He quips that the case is not as bad as the one facing Joe Biden, and gets some laughs in the room. Mr Biden is also being investigated over storing classified documents after leaving the Vice Presidency.

There are regular “boos” from the crowd at Mar-a-Lago as he lists the cast of characters who he describes as out to get him. The loudest boos were for Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan DA who brought Tuesday’s indictment, and Letitia James, the New York attorney general who has pursued cases against Mr Trump.

01:38 AM

'Defiant and prepared to fight'

The Telegraph's Rozina Sabur is at Mar-a-Lago watching Mr Trump speak.

After a criminal indictment that left an indelible stain on his record, advisers said Mr Trump was determined to end the day with a national address. He did not want to be seen as returning shamefaced to his Florida home, but defiant and prepared to fight, advisers said.

This is Mr Trump’s opportunity to reframe the day. And a loud crowd of supporters is making themselves heard outside.

01:27 AM

Donald Trump takes the stage

Donald Trump has just walked to the podium, declaring "we have to save our country" as the crowd shouts "USA".

"I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Mr Trump tells supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida.

"The only crime that I've committed has been to fearlessly defend our nation against those who seek to destroy it.

01:19 AM

Trump family unites

The Trump family was noticeably absent from the New York courtroom but they are joining supporters in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom.

01:15 AM

Trump's strategy

The 45th president of America entered the courtroom with a solemn, slow and deliberate pace.

But now expect a return of a fiery Donald Trump.

He will be on stage in the ballroom of his mansion, in front of a friendly audience of invited supporters, the centre of attention with free reign to say as he pleases on live television.

As correspondent Nick Allen explains, Mr Trump likely considers the criminal charges an opportunity to unite Republicans and add rocket fuel to his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

12:58 AM

Supporters gather for the Trump show

Hundreds of people have been invited to the ballroom of Donald Trump's luxury resort to listen to his speech.

12:48 AM

Motorcade to Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump had just over two hours of private time with aides on board Trump Force One as he prepared the strategy for his speech. He was then driven in a motorcade to Mar-a-Lago.

12:28 AM

Welcome to Wednesday's live blog

Hello and welcome to today's live blog. We will be bringing you the latest updates and news on Donald Trump's indictment.

The former president has arrived in Florida and is due to make a speech at around 1.15am BST (8.15pm EST).