Trump heads to New York amid tight security ahead of his surrender

The plane carrying former president Donald Trump lifts off at Palm Beach International Airport (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

Former US president Donald Trump has boarded his private plane and flew from Florida toward New York ahead of his expected booking and arraignment, as the nation’s largest city bolstered security and warned potential agitators that it is “not a playground for your misplaced anger”.

Mr Trump’s ground journey from his Mar-a-Lago club to his red, white and blue Boeing 757, emblazoned with “TRUMP” in gold letters was carried live on national television and took him past supporters waving banners and cheering the former president.

Mr Trump and his supporters criticise the case against him — stemming from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign — as politically motivated.

The scene was quite different in New York, where Mr Trump built a national profile in business and entertainment but became deeply unpopular as he moved into politics.

His return to the city opens an unprecedented chapter in American history, with Mr Trump being the first former president to face criminal charges even as he is in the midst of a third campaign for the White House.