The former US president called on his supporters to protest and called the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office ‘corrupt’
Donald Trump called on his supporters to protest on Saturday, amid reports that he could be arrested next week for allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
In a post on his Truth Social website, the former president called the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office “corrupt” as a grand jury deliberated on whether he should be indicted and charged in connection with the allegations.
“On Tuesday of next week, a leading Republican candidate and former President of the United States of America will be arrested. Protest, and reclaim our country! “He typed everything in capital letters.
Mr. Trump mentioned “illegal leaks from a corrupt and highly political Manhattan district attorney’s office,” and later added, “It’s the time!!” They are killing our country while we sit back and watch. America must be saved! Protest, protest, and more protest!!!”
It came after NBC, the Associated Press, and other US media outlets reported that law enforcement was preparing to indict Mr. Trump as soon as “next week” in connection with alleged payments to Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and other women who claimed sexual encounters with him.
According to police officials, they are preparing for possible pro-Trump rallies outside of the Manhattan courthouse.
Lawyers for the Florida Republican said he would comply with any legal order, while sources close to his team told CNN that he would appear in court in New York and expressed a desire to make a speech afterward. They reportedly privately advised Mr. Trump not to call on protesters to demonstrate, fearing the optics on Manhattan’s streets.
If he is indicted, Mr. Trump will be the first former president to face criminal charges.
Mr. Trump’s call for protests echoed his call for supporters to march to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, which resulted in a deadly riot.
His arrest could energize voters who believe the Democratic presidential candidate for 2024 is the victim of a witch hunt. Meanwhile, Elon Musk responded to the news by saying that if Trump is charged, he will “be re-elected in a landslide victory.”
“After what happened on January 6, I believe this has the potential to be very dangerous,” said John Bolton, former National Security Adviser in the Trump administration. “I hope the prosecutors in New York are certain of their case.”
There has been no public announcement of a timetable for the secret work of the Manhattan grand jury, including any potential vote on whether to indict the former president. Jurors will hear from one more witness on Monday, making it unlikely that they will reach a decision by Tuesday.
The grand jury has been hearing testimony from witnesses, including Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump’s lawyer, and longtime fixer, who testified last week that he orchestrated payments to two women in 2016 to silence them about sexual encounters they claimed they had with the Florida-based businessman a decade before.
Mr Cohen has stated that he arranged payments totaling $280,000 to Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal at the request of his former client.
Mr Cohen claims that his former client directed him to pay the hush money with the “primary goal” of buying their silence and thus “influencing” the 2016 presidential election.
The then-publisher of the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer paid Ms. McDougal $150,000 to keep her story from becoming public.
Mr. Trump was also summoned to testify, indicating that an indictment was imminent, according to legal experts.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is apparently investigating whether any state laws were violated in connection with the payments or the manner in which Mr. Trump’s company compensated Mr. Cohen for his work to keep the women’s allegations quiet.
He could face two charges: the first for falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanor under New York law unless prosecutors can prove they were falsified to conceal another crime, in which case it becomes a felony. The other could be a violation of state election law if it is determined that the alleged payoff was intended to benefit Mr. Trump’s political campaign.
Both could be difficult to prove, according to experts.
Mr. Trump, 76, denies the encounters took place, claims he did nothing wrong, and has characterized the investigation as a “witch hunt” by a Democratic prosecutor bent on sabotaging the Republican presidential campaign in 2024.
Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty, was sentenced to prison, and was barred from practicing law. Mr. Trump was never charged with a crime by federal prosecutors.
Mr. Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, told NBC News that if the former president is required to surrender to authorities from the District Attorney’s office, he will follow normal procedures.
Mr. Tacopina accused Attorney General Bragg of conducting a “politically motivated investigation” in a letter sent to the commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation last Friday.
According to him, the prosecutors “weaponized” their office by “scouring every aspect of President Trump’s personal life and business affairs, going back decades, in the hopes of finding some legal basis – however far-fetched, novel, or convoluted – to prosecute him.”
