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On today’s episode of the 5 Things podcast: USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen looks at what the next few days might have in store for former President Donald Trump after he was indicted this week. Tornados kill more people in the Midwest as the areas faces a deluge of storms. And LGBTQ people are under siege by hundreds of bills nationwide. The federal government sues Norfolk Southern over the February Ohio train derailment. Finally, USA TODAY Reporter Mike Snider looks at brands and April Fools’ Day pranks.
(Audio: Associated Press)
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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.
Taylor Wilson:
Good morning. I’m Taylor Wilson, and this is 5 Things you need to know Saturday, the 1st of April 2023.
Today what’s next for Trump after his indictment? Plus more deadly tornadoes sweep the central US. And what can we expect from brands for April Fool’s Day.
Former president Donald Trump enters this weekend preparing for an arraignment Tuesday after a historic indictment this week. But what exactly is next for Trump? I spoke with USA Today, Justice Department correspondent, Bart Jansen for more.
Bart, thanks for hopping on 5 Things today.
Bart Jansen:
Thanks for having me.
Taylor Wilson:
So the moment has arrived. Former president Donald Trump has been indicted. Can you just start by giving us some basics about what happened here?
Bart Jansen:
Well, we’ve had this New York grand jury taking a look at former president Donald Trump for a while now, at least, perhaps as early as 2018. The indictment has been announced, but we don’t know what the detailed charges are.
Taylor Wilson:
And when will we?
Bart Jansen:
Trump’s lawyers have said that he is expected to surrender to authorities on Tuesday in New York, and he could be arraigned on that day. That is when legal experts expect that the indictment could be unveiled, in which case we get to see what charges, how many charges, what types of accusations are being made against him.
Taylor Wilson:
How did Trump himself react to this indictment?
Bart Jansen:
Trump’s lawyer said the former president was shocked when he heard about the indictment. He had warned in recent days that he expected to be indicted, but then as the date slipped from his prediction, he started saying, «Well, perhaps they’ve gone a different way.» And so his lawyer said he was shocked at the development, but he has vowed to fight the charges and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina has said that there is no chance of a plea bargain.
Taylor Wilson:
This is obviously not a normal indictment because we’re talking about a former president. So what will the logistics of Trump’s arraignment next week look like?
Bart Jansen:
Trump’s first court appearance in New York is expected to draw a crowd. He has called for protests. It’s not clear yet whether a big crowd might show up to protest in favor of him who are opposed to him for that matter. Local authorities have begun bracing for the security that they need around the courthouse. They have begun days ago setting out barricades around the courthouse to prepare. The Secret Service has also been preparing to join him as he appears in court the first time.
Taylor Wilson:
This New York indictment is one of at least four investigations against the former president. What are they, Bart?
Bart Jansen:
Yeah, besides New York, we have a grand jury in Georgia, in Fulton County that is reviewing possible election fraud based on a call that Trump made to the Secretary of State in Georgia, Brad Raffensperger on January 2nd, 2021, asking him to find 11,780 votes that he needed to win the state away from President Joe Biden.
