has provided complete coverage of the halls of congress, from the house and senate floors to congressional hearings, party briefings and committee meetings, c-span gives you a front roast seat to how issues are debated and decided. no commentary, no interruptions and completely unfiltered. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> c-span's washington journal, every day we take your calls live on the air on the news of the day. we discussed policy issues that impact you. coming up wednesday morning we are taking your calls and comments as we discussed the latest on donald trump being charged with 34 felony counts, then formal federal prosecutor discusses the charges brought against the former president. watch washington journal live seven eastern wednesday morning

on c-span or c-span now our free mobile app. join the discussion with phone calls, facebook comments, text, tweets. >> it is unfortunate that it had -- that it had happened but those are my main questions. >> next up on the republican line, go ahead. >> obama should beware trump is, hillary clinton the obama -- the crime family.

[indiscernible] it is because they are afraid of them they're still afraid of trump, they do not want him to run, this is election interference, they have been doing this since 2016, i am getting sick of it i want these republicans to start teaching biden and the biden crime family. they belong in prison, not trump . >> englewood new jersey, chris from the democrat line. what is your expectations? >> i read about what a good from the 70's but this is even bigger than watergate. a historic time in our nations history and i want the people to understand that this man is not above the law. what i expected that justice will prevail in the court. the people who have been victimized by this monster who is a tyrant and he needs to be held to the highest accountability.

no one is indeed above the law. no one should be above the law. good honest people who fight for what is right to be heard and to do what is right, will always win in the end. my expectation today the and others are stepping up and giving us a voice of justice against those who abuse power and those who abuse the authority of higher power in higher leadership. >> onto our republican line, lawrenceville, georgia. hello there. >> hi. i want to say it is a very very sad day. does not matter if the president is democrat or republican. politicize asian of the presidency -- politicize asian -- >> when you think the long-term effects, more of this type in your words, please -- politicize

asian of the criminal process? >> i was a magic trick -- magistrate judge for many years in the state system and we never saw anything like this. i think, i hate to say it, i think it might become to it -- tip for cap -- tat. >> put yourself in the position of the judge today. if you had a potential defendant on the stature of a former president, a former sitting president, how would you handle it? any different than red lepers that comes before you in the courtroom? >> [indiscernible] he has handled a trump case before, i understand. that it even got this far, i

mean they had a couple years when he was campaigning and for years he was sitting in the office and then now. >> here is a story on that judge. the judge expected at arraignment is familiar with trump the headline from usa today. new york judge tentatively presiding over the arraignment of donald trump is more than familiar with the players in the former president's orbit. he presided over the fraud trial of trump's namesake real estate company and the related trump payroll corporation that ended in december with a conviction. he also oversaw the sentencing of formal trump financial chief allen weisselberg, that might explain trump's angry reaction to the place -- case. >> a judge assigned to my witch

hunt case, hates me. trump wrote on truth social. vicksburg, mississippi, is jp up next, what are your thoughts? >> i will be curious to see what happens in the court, i am little bit hoping maybe they will argue the case has to be thrown out due to the inability to impanel an impartial jury as well as an impartial judiciary. for the jury they can take any -- they can take the c-span comments as well as episodes to show that the possibility of impaling an impartial jury is highly unlikely. as to the judiciary, unfortunately i will have to say shift or schumer.

i do not remember which one said it. they threatened in the supreme court in one case. if you are threatening the supreme court what is called them off from threatening lower courts? again the judiciary has now been compromised. it will be interesting to see what happens. >> from the new york times this morning, the headline, please do not expect a repeat of january 6. new york city police department, state law enforcement agencies, sight service and u.s. marshals right have all been coordinating efforts while increasing intelligence gathering and mobilization. the police has a stand ready order to 35,000 officers, enforce larger and better trained than some national armies. even as measure trump's coming arraignment reflect a different set of circumstances a response is informed by the lessons

learned by the capitol riot and the challenges posed by nationwide protest against police violence in 2020. to deploy force quickly when threats show up on social media and information sharing among agencies in real time. the mayor of the city eric adams held a news conference yesterday and here is whether -- some of what he said. >> while there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow. our message is clear and simple. control yourself. new york city is our home. not a playground for your misplaced anger. we have the safest largest city in america because we respect the rule of in new york city. although we have no specific threats, people like marjorie taylor greene who is known to spread this information and hate speech, she stated she is coming to town.

while you are in town be on your best behavior. as always we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind and if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable. no matter who you are. >> that arraignment expect that 2:15 eastern this afternoon. taking your calls on the issue the first hour the program, at least on washington journal. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. (202) 748-8000 for democrats. (202) 748-8002 for everyone else. >> in the short term he will -- the details of the indictment have not been disclosed in the most backward supporters may

jump ship after all the dirt comes out. i am trying to wrap my brain around him chasing stormy around the hotel room in his what he tidies let's get some popcorn and sit back. denise says at this point in the day we still do not know the charges. what we do know he is worried for years that his taxes would be released. we might find out why today. this one, anyone else would be strip-searched, handcuffed, a photo taken of the criminal. trump is a lifelong thief and fraud, he should have been arrested years ago. orange is his color, and rebecca says djt is loving the publicity from the indtmt too much, this is dorothy. >> dorothy, yes, good morning. yes. i think alan is doing his job

and i'm really getting tired and really upset that republicans and lindsey graham and all those on fox news are saying things that are downright wrong, he is new york district attorney doing his job, i do not appreciate, this is very disturbing to me. that is my comment, i do not think it is good for the country. that they be allowed to do that over and over again. it is not right, everyone that listens to this, it should be disturbed by this, i think that marjorie taylor greene is a terrorist. all the people on fox news, even losing graham -- lindsey graham when he says his profanity, they are terrorists. they are trying to bring the country down just like they did on january 6, this is not good for the country, everyone should be alarmed and upset and they should be calling fox news and their representatives. that should -- that is my

message evelyn that is upset. call -- everyone that is upset. call them, let them know, this is bringing the country down. >> next is al, in stafford virginia. republican line. >> to the lady from pennsylvania she to know that alvin bragg is not doing this. this is done by joe biden and the democrats. they are afraid of donald trump. they know they cannot beat him. they know that he is going to be reelected in 2024. they are doing everything they can to stop him. and the democrats are above the law. hillary clinton can destroy her emails. she is above the law. eric swalwell can give information to a chinese spy. she is above the law. like i said biden is going to be

reelected -- trump is going to be reelected because ivan is losing popularity with the senior citizens, women, and the young people. that is all i have to say. >> next is donnie on the democrats line in st. louis. hello there >> hello, good morning. i would like to say i think trump should be indicted and i do not think he has been good for the country. he has divided the country. he is a grifter. anytime you can start campaigning and start asking for money, and you have republican senators get on the air and cry and big, when this is supposed to be a billionaire, he should be able to afford whatever legal

fees that he has. he should not have to go to the republican party to back to his people. he has not been good for the country. his policies were not good. anytime you think you are a bout the law, is not good. when you think you can take things from the white house because you say that nixon got $18,000,000 for paperwork then you are ignorant. he is not good for the country. republicans need to wake up. he is not going to be president. . i think you for your time. >> the former president is expected to leave trump tower lake this morning early afternoon. what should normally be a 15 to 20 minute ride downtown, and to the manhattan criminal court the president, former president is not expected to stay in the city overnight.

he has scheduled remarks from mar-a-lago this evening. whether that is a news conference, a speech, we will have it for you live beginning at a: 15 -- 8:15 pm eastern. here on c-span coming can find on the mobile app c-span now, and streaming at c-span.org. syracuse, new york, go ahead the republican line. >> good morning. my take on this, i lived in new york my entire life and this really has nothing to do with trump. it does in a sense, but the fallout, is not can it be any big surprises about trump. he will run for president, he will win. that is a foregone conclusion.

what this really is, this is the end of the metropolitan area of new york city. they have been going downhill for a long time. they have all sorts of problems. you name them. now you add to that they will be the scorn of half of the country. their finances are going to be found out to be not anywhere need -- near whether used to be. they will not be able to keep payment -- paying the commitment they have made the last several years and this is going to kill them. it is amazing that there is not someone in the city that said, wait a minute, what are we doing to ourselves? this is going to fall all on new york and not help any of the people. this might turn the new yorkers to vote republican in the near future. >> i appreciate that this is from politico about cameras in the courtroom today. no electronics in the courtroom for trump's arraignment the

judge says. no electronics and limited photography during former president donald trump's highly anticipated arraignment today. a new york judge announced monday night this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot be disputed he said in a ruling late monday night. never in the history of the united states has a sitting or past president been indicted. he declined reporter's request to have video cameras in the room for proceedings. being the use of cell phones, laptops, electronic devices. fivepool reporters will be allowed to take still photos for several minutes. cameras can be used in the hallways outside the courthouse. the populace rightly hungers of the most accurate and current information available. to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous, he wrote.

>> dolores is on the independent line calling from virginia this morning. go ahead. >> good morning i am looking at the situation and it is a sad circuit is not just the united states, but globally, other countries are watching what is going on. everyone is piling on the district attorney's. they either do their jobs and uphold the rule of law or let this thing slide.

not just the one in new york is the others coming up. it is painful. it is painful for all of us. what we seem to be forgetting, trump did this to us. him with his ridiculous machinations have brought us to this. it is creating so much unpleasant chaos, it just makes me, it is just disgusting. you kn, when we look at the candidates and people are saying this will get him elected. i think the opposite. i think that doing this, with all these people rallying to his support, reinforces the possibility he will be the nominee. for the democrats, and reasonable independence, that is exactly what we want to see. there is no way this guy will be reelected. running against biden.

if biden had somebody like maybe hutchinson, who never did get in line and support trump's foolishness. he is someone i could get -- serious consideration to. not trump light -- lite desantis, and some of these other people. we have to remember these district attorneys are forced to work a very unpleasant situation. uphold the law or treat this guy like he is king and say we will not take any action against him because he is donald trump. so there. >> john is a republican caller. out of california. >> good morning. i guess my comment today, i have been listening to c-span or the last couple of days. i have heard the democrat callers call in. they have already convicted him.

it is like a mob. mob rule. you have rule of law or is it mob rule? all these democrats calling in saying he is already convicted, he is a criminal, this and that. i have to tell you, i like paying low prices for gas. i like having the border closed. i like paying low money for bigs. i like things the way they work. i am looking at donald trump. i have a story to tell my wife, i am the third person. she has been married twice before. her relationships with her first -- former husband or kids, her former spouse with our kids is horrible. i have taken over as grandpa, and father, you look at trump and his relationship with marla maples or marla maples daughter who is spectacular and his relationship with his kids.

really a good good relationship. the guy does not drink or smoke. i am looking all these people with all this hate. all this mob hate. i am looking at america, is this what america is? i have a question for democrats. if he is exonerated, then, i just say do not vote, biden is horrible, just do not vote. if he is acquitted or let off, what are you going to do, i going to go after him again for something else? you have to stop, not vote, because you are a biased voter. you have to admit this point you are a biased voter. >> if he is exonerated assuming he pleads not guilty and goes trial, if you were exonerated you think that would incline

more people to support him? people that had not supported him before. >> i do not think it will. i think there is so much hate in the democratic party. they will not ever support him. they are so entrenched. if they are proven wrong they cannot even admit they are proven wrong. if they are so entrenched i say do not vote. please, do not vote for joe biden, really. the guy is a clown. just do not vote for joe biden. do not vote for trump. do not vote. >> the front page of the washington times this morning. former president's legal team, he pleads -- former president donald trump also his legal team with a white collar criminal defense lawyer and traveled to manhattan where heavy security precautions were erected ahead of the court arraignment and booking. the first ex-president to be charged with crimes. mr. trump hired former new york press -- federal prosecutor todd blanche, and dutch who

represented paul manafort for his unprecedented court appearance tuesday. estate judge is affected to unseal the indictment charging mr. trump of multiple business fraud violations related to a hush-money payments in 2016 to adult film star stormy daniels, one of former president's supporters in congress is often scott -- is austin scott. he was on abc last night. >> i think it is all about a booking photo for president trump. they want to embarrass him. create problems for him in the republican party in the next election. . that is what i believe the issue is here. i think once he goes to court the president's lawyers were very quickly prove these charges should have never been brought. the democratic party will have what they wanted, a booking photo of donald trump. that will be embarrassing for him. you know, that is what all of

this is about. even a significant portion of democrats believe this is about politics, not about the law. >> right now former president trump appears to be the top contender for the. gop in. 2024 have you got the impression that the party is concerned about the future and the nomination? >> many in the party including myself, i wish he was the president right now. i did not why him to be my republican nominee in 2024. i will tell you i think what this has done is make him the absolute nominee for the topic and party in 2024. i wish he had stayed off twitter, i think you would be the president of the united states if he had come the democratic party recognizes he is a challenge for the republican party and they are doing everything they can to help him. >> our phone lines here on

washington journal, for republicans (202) 748-8001 and for democrats host: --(202) 748-8000. >> a comment on twitter, trump is facing something he never has, accountability. people that parrot nobody is above the law put aside the principles the laws founded the prevailing sentiment is trump is guilty of crimes, the merits of this charge does not matter says tony in tamarac, florida. he says this indictment is a warning for future presidents the challenge democracy. he is in houston texas on the democrat's line, go ahead. >> thank you for taking my call. i will make it short. first i want to address that guy that says, that they all say democrats are evil people.

yet it is all the hateful goons that belong to the republican party. go figure that my question to the callers in america is, it is not a question, well, yes it is, i have a question. why doesn't trump want this televised? why doesn't he want the case televised? new york does not necessarily do it but he is against it. why doesn't he want his people to see the injustice being perpetrated against him? my final statement is, donald trump is a week man image of a strongman. thank you. >> in baton rouge we hear from doc, i'm sorry, there you are on the independent line, go ahead. >> good morning. >> morning. >> many years ago, senator joe mccarthy said that the

communists are going to infiltrate the film industry, entertainment industry and the government. and as you know, that is happening now. the democratic party does not want any opposition. they destroy opposition, just like the bolsheviks in russia that went to ccp in china. they cannot stand opposition. you are seeing it right now. thank you. >> was a today, and bmps by investigative reporter writing this. -- usa today, an investigative reporter, writing this. >> what is now known publicly is

far from a slamdunk for prosecutors use to winning a vast majority of their cases. that is why details in the diamond that reportedly total war than two dozen criminal counts be critical for a country in uncharted waters, within ex-president under criminal indictment and running again for the white house. does he have more than what is seen publicly? if not a smoking gun, then evidence he knowingly paid off daniels and illegally falsified business records in the process, let's hope so for the sake of the country. a wobbly prosecution that ultimately falls apart in court would be help to no one. except perhaps, trump and his white house bid. thomas is calling from ventura, california on the republican line. >> hello, thank you, first of all i enjoy and thank you for what you do here at c-span.

i think the time has come, april 3, as of yesterday, i think. i feel the democrats need to get off their high horses, and stop harassing president trump who has done absolutely nothing wrong in the eyes of god. when i get is the president is innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever. simply because president trump has been the greatest president ever in the history of the usa. i feel like they bragged, he is the attorney general of york city, arson -- are connected somehow. that is why everything is a mess. trump -- i just want everything to be -- better for everybody. not just for president trump, everyone in the usa to have a president that -- who did everything he could while he was

president. >> reminder, make sure you mute your volume when you get connected when you call in. louis is next, highland park, illinois, democrat's line. >> good morning. >> i have a question for republicans. something i have tried to understand. a woman gets raped by someone who has hepatitis or aids. republicans will not allow that woman to get an abortion. this does not make sense to me. it has no common sense associated with it. i do not understand republicans when it comes down to this. i would never vote republican, because of this. it seems to be a stupid decision. it is a health matter. it is not a political matter. a woman needs to have the right to choose. basically, that is something i

will never understand about republicans. thank you. >> cody on the independent line in ellington, michigan. >> hello, yes sir, good morning. i would just like to point out to all the republicans and democrats, the greatest president to ever live in our country was andrew jackson. the only president to bring our national debt to zero. if they would like to open the history book and quietly browse through -- [indiscernible] leslie i am a marxist, do not personally believe any gain upon someone else's hard work as ill-gotten gains in my opinion, the point is communism and marxism is evan, communism requires a dictator and marxism puts the power to the working people. my question to democrats or republicans is this. at what point do you realize the system of borrowing money from

yourself to payback yourself and get you in debt and the fact that you cannot come upon a single [indiscernible] to argue any points besides joe biden initiated the crime bill, i like to point out also to all republicans and democrats, at 9:37 a.m. the house voted and all of them, republicans and democrats that voted on this bill. the author is most likely responsible to the wording and verbiage. all of them are initially responsible for casting the bill. >> we are focusing on the inspected -- expected indictment today. 2:15 this -- each in the setting of the former president take into his social media site true social the last couple of days, showing you a number of those comments on truth social, the former president last night focusing on the 2024 presidential race with some recent polls. pulsing pull number the highlight this.

march 20 paul, trump 44% desantis 34%, april 3, desantis 19%. a new policy retreats from interactive poll, which of these two republicans do you think has the best chance of winning 2024 presidential election? asked of republicans and independents that lean republican. trump 55% and desantis 49%, that is a you go poll -- you gov pull. >> go at. -- ahead. >> i would like to say i am a trump supporter, 100%. i do not see where he has done anything wrong. any different than any other presidents have done. there is kennedy.

he had someone. at least, i will not go to the name of this, but a democrat president, a thing about it is he did not do it in the white house. he did not have a lover in the white house. he was somewhere else, what he done on his personal time and thing is his business. nobody else's business and i think is a budget crock that the democrats keep throwing this up at him. we have 4 nations against us right now. we never had that when trump was in office. i think people better wise up and pay attention to that. because, one of these days, or nights, someone is going to bite us. it will be bad. i believe that biden is not the person in office right now that we can depend on. it is hard to sleep at night knowing he is president of our

united states of america. in the way he has done things. the money is being flushed down the commode day after day, hour after hour, minute per minute. i want everyone to feel that, i used to be a democrat, but after what i have seen. i completely switched around completely. >> former president donald trump speaks tonight from mar-a-lago. following his arraignment in new york city earlier today. where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business remark is expected to begin: 15 p.m. eastern live here on c-span. -- 8:15 pm eastern live here on c-span. you can watch on the free mobile video app, c-span now or online at c-span.org.

>> see stans washington journal every day we take your calls live on the air the news of the day and we discussed policy issues that impact you. . coming up wednesday morning we are taking calls and comments as we discussed the latest on donald trump being charged with 34 felony counts. former federal prosecutor discusses the charges brought against the former president. watch washington journal live at seven easter wednesday morning on c-span or c-span out of free mobile app. join the discussion with you phone calls, facebook comments, text, tweets. >> c-span campaign 2024 coverage your front row seat to the residential election. watch our -- presidential election. watch our campaign coverage of meet and greets, to make up your own mind. campaign 2024 on the c-span

network, c-span now our free mobile video app or anytime online at c-span.org. c-span come your unfiltered view of politics. announcer: c-span is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more including charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers and we are just getting started. building 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those that need it most. >> charter communications supports c-span as a public servic along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> forr president donald trump appeared in court to face 34 felony charges of falsifying business charges