Driving the news: Trump lawyer Alina Habba told Fox News that the hush-money case involving Trump and porn star Stormy Daniels is "the most legally pathetic" case, and predicted Trump "will be vindicated" at trial.
Habba cast the indictment as an effort to prevent Trump from becoming president again.
Trump also faces criminal investigations in Georgia over allegations that he tried to change 2020 election results there, and by the Justice Department, which is examining his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and his handling of classified documents.
What they're saying: In a phone interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Habba said that she didn't yet know the scope of the indictment, but "I'm equally as shocked as the rest of the world right now."
"I can't say that he's surprised," she said when asked to describe Trump's state of mind.
"I think his sentiments are that this is a result of him leading in the polls, doing incredibly well, he is the leading candidate ... and when people are afraid of someone being successful and fixing the mess that is our country, they come after you."
She said the fact that Trump is facing five different investigations "is the exact major problem of politicizing the Justice Department throughout the country."
What's next: Because he's a former president, Trump's security team will be in close coordination with the DA to arrange his next steps: Fingerprinting and taking a mugshot.
"There will be — I wouldn’t call it a surrender — an arraignment, just like anyone else would do, " Habba said.
Update: This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Bret Baier's name, which was previously spelled as Brett.
Driving the news: It's the first time in U.S. history a former president has been indicted. Trump has frequently cast himself as a victim of overzealous investigators and has called for protests.
The big picture: Bragg, a Democratwho became Manhattan's first Black district attorney in 2022, is steering the high-profile grand jury investigation over Trump's alleged $130,000 hush money payment during the 2016 presidential campaign to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Why it matters: It's the first time in U.S. history a former president has been indicted — a shock to the 2024 election and a move likely to harden pro- and anti-Trump sentiments well beyond Washington.
The indictment remained sealed late Thursday, so the precise charges and evidence against Trump were unclear.
The ex-president was under investigation over $130,000 in alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels as he was running for election in 2016. She has said they had an affair, which he denies.
The latest: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a tweet that "the House of Representatives will hold [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), by contrast, said in a statement there should be "no outside political influence, intimidation or interference" in the case.
"I encourage both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law,” Schumer said.
What they're saying: "Going to be dangerous days ahead,"Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) told Axios, channeling concerns of lawmakers about potential violence in response to the indictment.
"No one in this country is above the law — including former President Trump," progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said in a statement, calling for a measure to "ensure Trump is banned from running for any public office."
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a vocal Trump foe and former House Intelligence Committee chair, said in a statement that "this step, while unprecedented, is also deeply and fundamentally necessary to preserve the rule of law."
“Alvin Bragg just single-handedly secured Donald Trump the 2024 presidential election," conservative Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Axios.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a more establishment-minded Republican, said the indictment "doesn't pass the smell test" and said Congress has "every right" to investigate the Manhattan DA's decision-making.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), another conservative, said the indictment is "clearly an attempt to intimidate President Trump and influence the upcoming 2024 elections."
The intrigue: A few lawmakers are taking a more measured, wait-and-see approach to the indictment.
"I trust our legal system," moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Axios, "There’s checks and balances with a jury, judges and appeals. President Trump will be able to make his defense and we’ll all see if this is a partisan prosecution or not."
Asked about concerns of violence, Bacon said, "I defend peaceful protest. I doubt it will get violent, but if it does those [people] should be held legally accountable."
“In America we believe in the rule of law," Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is running for a competitive U.S. Senate seat, said in a statement. “We should wait to hear from the grand jury before jumping to conclusions.”
“As this process continues, former President Trump should be afforded the due process protections that he is guaranteed by our Constitution, just like any other American," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement. " But no one is above the law — not even a former president.”
What caught our eye:
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), a close Trump ally, is already fundraising off the anger around the indictment — as is the former president.
"THIS JUST IN: PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN INDICTED," reads a text from his campaign, calling it "unfair on so many levels."
The text includes a link to a WinRed page that says Trump was indicted "for being a patriot."
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Thursday that House Republicans are prepared to try to raise the debt limit on their own if President Biden doesn't return to the negotiating table.
Why it matters: It marks a strategy shift by the House speaker as Biden demands Republicans present a budget plan before he engages in talks – which they appear strongly disinclined to do.
Why it matters: It's a messaging and strategy shift that comes as House Democrats have been demanding greater clarity about Biden's intentions before they vote on measures that have a real chance of reaching his desk.
Hispanic Catholics in 2022 accounted for the largest percentage of people who identify with a religion in the American Southwest, surpassing the share of white evangelicals in the region, according to a survey released last month.
The big picture: Latino Catholics have also eclipsed white mainline Protestants in California, New Mexico and Texas.
At least nine soldiers were killed after two Army helicopters flying out of Fort Campbell crashed on Wednesday night in Trigg County, Kentucky, officials said Thursday.
Details: Those killed were crewmembers of two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters who were flying for a routine training exercise before the crash around 10pm ET Wednesday.
CNN's Jake Tapper tells Axios that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are "integral to the plot" of his new political thriller, "All the Demons Are Here" — set in Montana and D.C. in 1977, and coming July 11.
Driving the news: "One of the first scenes is in the Senate dining room, where we see Woodward, Bernstein, freshman Senator Jack Danforth," Tapper says.
President Biden's plans to sign a resolution ending the COVID national emergency has some House Democrats once again simmering over the White House's communications.
Why it matters: The latest flare-up of tensions threatens to reopen wounds created earlier this month over D.C. crime and immigration.
Recent threats to some of the nation’s oldest Chinatowns in Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York City have raised concerns about displacement for Asian Americans who see Chinatown as both a symbol of their resilience and a place to protect in the wake of anti-Asian hate.
Why it matters: Chinatowns have served as an ethnic and cultural marker since Chinese immigrants first arrived in the U.S. But many are decreasing in size — or completely disappearing — amid urban development and gentrification as cities look to maximize profit in their downtown centers.
The White House is dredging up a House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) comment from January to ding him over the lack of a House GOP budget proposal.
Why it matters: It's the latest reprisal in an escalating messaging war between McCarthy and President Biden over who is most responsible for the breakdown in negotiations over the budget and the debt ceiling.
Seven California Highway Patrol officers and a nurse were charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death in police custody of Edward Bronstein, officials in the state announced Wednesday.
The big picture: Californian authorities last year released video of the 38 year old who died on March 31, 2020 after screaming "I can't breathe" while being restrained by officers who were trying to take a blood sample.
West Virginia became the latest state to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth after Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, per AP.
The big picture: At least 10 other states have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming treatments for minors even though major medical groups consider this type of care medically necessary and potentially lifesaving for trans youth.
The Senate on Wednesday voted 68-23 to pass a GOP-led resolution ending the COVID national emergency — and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is indicating to colleagues that President Biden is expected to sign it into law.
