Donald Trump is hours away from making history again - but for all the wrong reasons.
The former US President faces four criminal charges for spreading election lies and will appear in court on Friday morning.
Washington DC is locking down for the appearance, which is his third in front of a judge in just four months.
With the scene of the crime in the background - Washington DC is waiting for Trump.
At the Federal Court, cameras line the footpath and cop cars guard the entrance - and the defendant has been sticking to the script.
"These are ridiculous indictments, and all they are hoping for is mass election interference. That's all they want to do," Trump said at a rally.
Trump's accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election by spreading lies about election fraud.
On Thursday, his lawyer suggested that when claiming the election was stolen, Trump is protected by "free speech".
"This is the first time that free speech has been criminalised in the history of the United States," his lawyer John Lauro said.
But according to one of Washington's top legal minds, that's likely to fall flat with the judge.
"He has First Amendment rights - he can say things, he can lie - but he can't lie to obtain something of value from other people, that's fraud," said Georgetown law Professor David Super.
Prof Super finds it hard to see how Trump could win this case but says even if he loses, he could still campaign.
When asked if Trump could run for President from behind bars, and win the election from prison, Prof Super said "he could certainly run for office".
"He's not legally required to be free of convictions and free of indictments. But as a practical matter, he's not going to jail before the election."
Prof Super said that's because Trump would appeal any conviction - and wouldn't be forced to wait in prison.
When Trump arrives at court in Washington DC on Friday he won't be handcuffed and there won't be a mugshot.
Officials say that's because the former President's picture is already publicly available.
Trump is receiving some support from unlikely places.
Rival Republican candidate Ron DeSantis says he won't get a fair trial in America's capital.
"A DC jury would indict a ham sandwich and convict a ham sandwich if it were a Republican sandwich," DeSantis said.
But DC isn't the only city Trump could be convicted in. He faces the prospect of three trials in three cities before next year's election.
