Donald Trump is said to be expecting his arrest – and is calling for protests. (archive image)Source: dpa
Former US President Donald Trump says he expects to be arrested on Tuesday – and is calling on his supporters to protest. “The overwhelmingly leading Republican candidate and former President of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday next week,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday.
“Illegal leaks” from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office pointed to his arrest, Trump wrote, without providing any evidence. His attorney, Susan Necheles, said Trump’s statements were based on media reports and not new steps by prosecutors. What is behind Trump’s statements and is he actually threatened with arrest? An overview.
‘Protest, take back our nation’: Trump post on Truth Social. Source: truthsocial/@realDonaldTrump
Is ex-US President Trump really facing arrest?
Trump is under investigation in Manhattan for allegedly paying women with whom he allegedly had sexual encounters to remain hush-hush before the 2016 US presidential election. In this context, the porn actress Stormy Daniels testified before the investigating prosecutors on Wednesday – 130,000 dollars are said to have flowed to Daniels.
Prosecutor Alvin Bragg began presenting evidence of the payment to a grand jury earlier this year. In early March, his office asked Trump to testify before the grand jury, attorney Necheles said. From the point of view of legal experts, this is a sign that an indictment may be imminent. The grand jury must decide whether to press charges.
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Should Trump be charged, he would only be arrested if he refused to turn himself in. His lawyers have already stated that the ex-president will follow normal procedure. He would probably turn himself in at a New York police station or straight into Bragg’s office. Trump would be the first ex-president to be charged with an alleged crime.
What could Trump be aiming for with his announcement?
With his message, Trump apparently wants to forestall a formal announcement by the prosecutor and stir up outrage among his supporters before a possible indictment. In an email to his supporters, he also asked for donations.
His call to “take back our nation” was reminiscent of his rhetoric just before the Capitol storm in Washington on January 6, 2021.
For the past 18 months, a congressional committee has been investigating the storming of the US Capitol. The panel staged the public hearings as a TV spectacle that was watched by many people.
John Bolton, who was Trump’s security advisor until a disagreement, sharply criticized Donald Trump’s call for protests in a CNN interview. The storming of the Capitol shows where such calls could lead. Trump is aware of this in the current protest calls:
If he now calls people onto the streets with the experiences of January 6th, it could possibly become very dangerous.
Are violent riots threatened by Trump supporters?
It is unclear whether Trump’s supporters will heed his call to protest. His posts on Truth Social tend to get far less attention than they did on Twitter, but he still has a very loyal following.
The aftermath of the Jan. 6 riots, in which hundreds of Trump supporters were arrested and charged in federal court, may have dampened his fans’ enthusiasm for violent action.
Could Trump run for US President despite charges or arrest?
It is questionable how a possible indictment against Trump would affect his renewed application for the presidency. Even if he were charged, Trump had made it clear in advance that he had no intention of withdrawing his application.
Donald Trump has launched his campaign as the Republican presidential nominee. He was the first Republican to officially declare his ambitions.
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Many months or, in extreme cases, years could pass before a possible conviction. And even a guilty verdict wouldn’t legally stop Trump from running for the 2024 election. In the past, similarly spicy allegations have not diminished Trump’s popularity with his supporters. However, he has not yet appeared in court himself.
How do official bodies react to Trump’s statements?
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office initially declined to comment.
Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, defended Donald Trump. On Twitter, he spoke of a “egregious abuse of power by a radical prosecutor who is letting violent criminals go while he exacts political revenge on President Trump.”
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