Trump calls for protest over ‘arrest’ plot
Former US President Donald Trump says he expects to be "arrested" on Tuesday for allegedly paying hush money to a porn star before the 2016 election, and he urges his supporters to protest.
Citing a "leak" from the Manhattan district attorney's office, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday morning: "Leading Republican candidate & former President of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week. Protest, take back our country!"
The investigation revolves around a $130,000 payment made weeks before the 2016 election to keep Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, from going public about an affair she claims she had with Trump years before.
Prosecutors are considering whether to charge Trump in the case, and there is widespread speculation that an indictment is imminent.
If the Manhattan district attorney charges Trump, he will be the first former president to face criminal charges. This would also jeopardize his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Trump's lawyer told CNBC on Friday evening that if a Manhattan grand jury indicts him, he will surrender to face criminal charges.
Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and has characterized the investigation as political in nature.
Trump said in his post, written in capital letters, that the investigation was based on "illegal leaks from a corrupt & highly political Manhattan district attorneys office" and that it was "based on an old & fully debunked (by numerous other prosecutors!) fairy-tale."
- Invitation to testify - Daniels met with prosecutors on Wednesday and "agreed to make herself available as a witness or for further inquiry if necessary," according to her lawyer, Charles Brewster.
After a two-year ban, Trump regains access to Instagram and Facebook.
Trump was given the opportunity to testify earlier this month by District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team, but is expected to decline in order to avoid potentially incriminating himself.
According to experts, the invitation indicates that he will almost certainly be charged.
Trump's former lawyer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen testified before a grand jury in New York on Monday. Cohen made the payment to Daniels, and he claimed he was later reimbursed.
If the payment is not properly accounted for, it may result in a misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records. According to The New York Times, this could be elevated to a felony if the false accounting was intended to conceal a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation.
Trump is facing several criminal investigations at the state and federal levels for possible wrongdoing before, during, and after his first term in office, which could jeopardize his new presidential bid.
A prosecutor in Georgia is looking into Trump and his allies' efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state. According to the forewoman, the grand jury in that case has recommended multiple indictments.
A federal investigation is also looking into the former president's handling of classified documents, as well as his possible involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Leave A Comment