Trump Claims He Will Be Detained on Tuesday and Calls for Protests Similar to Those on January 6
As Manhattan prosecutors consider charges against the former president for his involvement in a hush money scheme involving an adult film star, Donald Trump announced early on Saturday that he will be arrested on Tuesday.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump made the accusation in an all-caps statement. He directed his supporters to protest and “TAKE OUR NATION BACK” – a call to action that echoes statements he made in the days leading up to the violent insurrection at the American Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE BACK OUR NATION!” his statement Saturday read in part.
Trump did not give any evidence surrounding how he knew of the timing of a possible arrest, citing only “ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE.”
Although the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is widely expected to file an indictment, the exact date is still unknown. According to reports, law enforcement organizations are getting ready for demonstrations after an indictment that could happen as early as next week.
The district attorney, Alvin Bragg, convened a grand jury earlier this year as part of a probe into Trump’s involvement in the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal, in which the adult film actress claims to have had an extramarital relationship with Trump.
The investigation is the result of long-ago revelations that Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney, gave Stormy Daniels $130,000 as part of a settlement he negotiated with her in October 2016 to keep her quiet about the affair while Trump was running for president that year. Then, Trump’s business paid Cohen back.
According to the prosecution, the funds were an unreported gift to Trump’s campaign. In 2018, Cohen admitted to breaking the law regarding campaign finance and received a three-year prison term.
Bragg’s office has been examining whether Trump oversaw the false recording of the expenses in company records and broke the law in doing so. The payments to Cohen were recorded as “legal expenses.”
In a similar vein, Cohen has claimed that he set up a second payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal. According to Cohen, McDougal received payment from the tabloid National Enquirer’s publisher at the time.
The indictment of Trump, who is currently the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, would be a seismic development after years of numerous investigations into his conduct and business practices, and it would likely only serve to catalyze his supporters among the Republican base.
His call to supporters to “TAKE OUR NATION BACK” is eerily similar to comments he made in the run-up to the His supporters attacked police officers, broke into the Capitol, and stormed the building during a rally on the National Mall on January 6 in an attempt to thwart the transfer of power peacefully.
investigating the Jan. 6 actors later determined that Trump’s remarks were interpreted as a call to arms by his supporters, which included far-right militia organizations.
The Justice Department is currently looking into Trump’s actions leading up to the uprising under the direction of special counsel Jack Smith.
Charges may be forthcoming, despite the fact that the exact timing of a potential indictment is still unknown. Trump was reportedly given an opportunity to testify, which signals that charges against him could be coming soon.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing, calling the possible charges a “Fairytale that has been COMPLETELY DEBUNKED.”
He has repeatedly railed against the investigation and against Bragg individually, casting the probe as a political “witch-hunt.”
