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Even the former president called the scenario leading up to his surrender “surreal.”

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges Tuesday, a few hours after turning himself in to authorities. The backdrop was a circus outside the lower Manhattan courthouse as helicopters buzzed overhead and police roamed the surrounding streets.

Hundreds of reporters had camped out overnight, protesters and Trump’s supporters clashed over gates meant to corral curious onlookers, and spectators jockeyed for a few coveted seats assigned to the general public.

A couple of New Yorkers accidentally got married. Others did it on purpose. Hell Gate tried very hard to sell courthouse access to the highest bidder. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene showed up briefly. Rep. Jamaal Bowman suggested she “take her ass back to Washington. Rep. George Santos arrived “to support the president,” but did not comment on his own myriad legal spectacles.

What came out of the courthouse was a 16-page indictment that accuses Trump of 34 felonies for allegedly falsifying business records in a bid to violate campaign finance laws. Here’s the definitive explainer from our Josh Gerstein on what the new filings mean.

“These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said during a brief press conference, one of the first times he’s spoken publicly about the case.

When it was said and done, Eric Trump in a tweet suggested that New York City had spent $200 million on the proceedings. Fabien Levy, the mayor’s press secretary, said he had no idea where the former president’s son got that number.

Trump didn’t stay in his ex-hometown long. He flew back to Florida for Mar-a-Lago event at his estate, where he bashed the day’s events, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and other investigations such as his two impeachment proceedings, accusations of fraud from AG Tish James and the investigation into the classified documents he had stashed at Mar-a-Lago.

What’s next is that Trump’s team is likely going to try and derail the case, even as he capitalizes on the attention to fundraise for his 2024 bid for the White House. Prosecutors suggested a trial date as early as next January.

Over at the White House, former (and maybe future) presidential opponent Joe Biden wasn’t watching much of the Trump news, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “Look, the president is going to focus on the American people like he does every day. This is not something that is a focus for him.”

IT’S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: [email protected] or on Twitter: @annagronewold

WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no announced public schedule and no budget deal imminent.

WHERE’S ERIC? Honoring three NYPD officers injured on New Years Eve at City Hall before delivering remarks at a hiring hall and at another event that’s part of his five-borough Ramadan tour.

“Mayor Adams’ administration orders another 4% cut to most NYC agency budgets, blames migrant crisis costs,” by Daily News’ Michael Gartland and Chris Sommerfeldt: “Mayor Adams is ordering most city agencies to slash their budgets by another 4% on top of his administration’s two belt-tightening directives from last year, the Daily News has learned. Jacques Jiha, Adams’ budget director, informed agency heads of the latest austerity measure in a letter Tuesday. In the missive, Jiha wrote that the administration is baking the new cuts, known as a Program to Eliminate the Gap, or PEG, into the mayor’s executive budget, set to be released later this spring.”

Adams administration on track to reach labor settlement with police union, by POLITICO’s Joe Anuta and Maya Kaufman: Mayor Eric Adams and a union representing rank-and-file police officers are expected to soon announce a major labor contract settlement, three people with knowledge of the accord told POLITICO. Should a deal be ratified, it would put an end to years of frosty relations between City Hall and the Police Benevolent Association, which represents around 24,000 uniformed officers.

“Detainees spend an average of 115 days at Rikers – 4 times the national average,” by WNYC’s Bahar Ostadan: “Inmates at Rikers Island spent an average of 115 days locked up at the jail last year – four times the national average, according to a federal monitor report published on Monday. The report found the average length of stay for detainees at Rikers has nearly doubled from 61 days in 2016, when a federal court installed a monitor to oversee reforms at the troubled jail.”

“Inside New York City’s Black Market for Temporary License Plates,” by Streetsblog’s Jesse Coburn: “Through interviews and public records, Streetsblog identified 53 dealers at the Bridgeton compound and other so-called “multi-dealer locations” across New Jersey that state auditors have caught violating temp tag regulations in recent years. At least three of those dealers told the state that they sold temp tags illegally, records show. Another four admitted it to Streetsblog in interviews.”

“Food Delivery Workers Veer Into Warfare Over Breakthrough Wage Proposal,” by THE CITY’s Claudia Irizarry Aponte: “Trailblazing labor group Los Deliveristas Unidos loses leaders over fears that a pay boost measure could backfire, stoked by the major delivery apps.”

“New York state budget still in limbo after talks between leaders stall,” by New York Post’s Zach Williams: “‘We just talked about the totality of what a budget would take, and so there’s no agreement on any of that,’ state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) told reporters at the state Capitol on Tuesday, after meeting with Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). ‘That’s really it,’ the Bronx powerbroker said.”

“State workers will be paid as budget deadline moves to April 10,” by Times Union’s Raga Justin: “Ongoing negotiations on a final state budget will keep going at the Capitol after Gov. Kathy Hochul moved on Monday to extend a key deadline to April 10. The holdup has been attributed almost entirely to a stalemate over Hochul’s desire for additional rollbacks of the 2019 changes to the state’s bail laws, as well as some disagreement about her ambitious housing plan that would enlist local communities to create 800,000 new homes over the next 10 years.”

“New York AG weighs in transgender athlete’s challenge to West Virginia law,” by Spectrum’s Nick Reisman: “A coalition of 18 attorneys general from around the country signed onto an amicus brief supporting a transgender student’s challenge to a West Virginia law that bans transgender students from female sports teams. Co-leading the brief backing the student’s legal challenge is New York Attorney General Letitia James, who in a statement on Tuesday called the law inconsistent with basic rights for transgender people.”

— “Here’s when City & State readers think the budget will be finished,” by Peter Sterne and Shantel Destra

#UpstateAmerica: Do you have an allergy to pollen? Upstate is not the place for you.

— Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan’s rare television interview earlier this year didn’t do his company any favors, according to a judge’s ruling.

— Micron Technology is hosting its inaugural Chip Camp at Liverpool Middle School, part of the company’s pledge to spend $10 million in local schools.

— “Swatting” incidents have increased in the last few weeks among schools across the state, Hochul said.

— New York City’s Cyber Academy saw its first class ever graduating on Tuesday.

— Long Island Democrat Sen. Monica Martinez wants to ban pet pachyderms.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: former Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) … CNN’s Dan Berman … Adam Rubenstein … NYT’s Jill Rayfield … PayPal’s Howard Wachtel … Melissa Shuffield … Scott Clifford … Garrett Marquis … Wilson Shirley

MAKING MOVES -- Paul Iskajyan is now press secretary for Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). He most recently was deputy comms director for Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.). ... Bobby Codjoe is now director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Morrison Cohen LLP. He most recently was manager of DEI at Milbank LLP.

MEDIAWATCH — Karen Friedman Agnifilo is joining CNN as an on-air legal analyst. She previously was chief assistant DA in the Manhattan DA’s Office under Cyrus Vance Jr. The announcement

SPOTTED at a party on Tuesday celebrating Sally Susman’s new book “Breaking Through” hosted by Melissa Moss, Jonathan Silver, Steve Elmendorf, Philip DuFour and Hilary Rosen ($25.15): Robin Canter, Sheila Johnson, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Jonathan Capehart and Nick Schmit, Linda Douglass and John Phillips, Juleanna Glover, Stephanie Cutter, Josh Bolten, Tim Shriver, Roy Neel, Mike Allen, Jane Mayer, Steve Clemons, Pete Rouse, Cathy Merrill, Carol Melton, Megan Beyer and Bruce Andrews.

WHAT WALL STREET IS READING — “Goldman Sachs invests $2 billion in Black women-owned businesses — the first chapter of a bigger plan,” by CNBC’s Frank Holland

“Manhattan home sales plunge 38% as prices drop 5%: report,” by New York Post’s Ariel Zilber: “Manhattan residential real estate sales plunged by 38% in the first quarter of this year while the average sales price dropped 5% as high interest rates put a dent in transactions across the borough. In the first quarter of 2023, there were 2,242 apartments and townhouses sold in Manhattan — down from 2,546 during the same period last year, according to real estate broker Douglas Elliman and appraisal firm Miller Samuel.”

“An exclusive club battles an elite hotel on Central Park,” by Crain’s New York Business’ C. J. Hughes: “A blue-blood bastion is lashing out at a black-tie mainstay on the Upper East Side. The Metropolitan Club, a members-only retreat founded by the Morgans, Whitneys and Vanderbilts, has sued the next-door Pierre Hotel, well known for its debutante balls, over some long-running and allegedly sloppy construction work.”