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#Donald Trump claims he will be arrested Tuesday in Manhattan probe, calls for protests

Donald Trump claims he will be arrested Tuesday in Manhattan probe, calls for protests

Former President Donald Trump said he expects to be arrested Tuesday in connection with an investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and called on his supporters to protests ahead of possible indictment.

Trump’s comments on Truth Social, the social media network he founded, come as he is under investigation for a $130,000 payment he made just before the 2016 election to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels about an earlier affair. The former president has denied wrongdoing, and federal investigators ended their own inquiry into the payments in 2019.

Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for Manhattan’s District Attorney’s office, declined to comment on the former president’s statement. 

But testimony from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who arranged for the payment and already has been convicted and served prison time, could help bring the first charges in history against a former president.

On Truth Social Saturday, Trump urged his supporters to “Protest, take our nation back!”

“The far & away leading Republican candidate & former president of the United States of America, will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.,” he wrote in all caps.

A Trump spokesperson speaking on background told USA TODAY that there has been “no notification” of a possible Trump indictment other than news media reports and “leaks from the Justice Dept. and the DA’s office.” 

The New York Attorney General’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment. 

Manhattan prosecutors on Wednesday met with Daniels. She thanked her attorney in a tweet for “helping me in our continuing fight for truth and justice.”

Experts say Trump arrest unlikely

Trump says he’ll still run for president again if he’s indicted in any of the current investigations into his conduct. His first rally of the 2024 presidential race is scheduled for March 25 in Waco, Texas. 

An indictment is not the same as an arrest; it’s a formal charge of a crime, while an arrest is when a person is taken into custody. An arrest of Trump is not likely, said former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti.

“Typically defendants are not arrested in cases like this one when they’re represented by counsel,” he said. 

Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor, said a self-surrender is more likely in cases like Trump’s. 

“Unless he is a risk of flight or danger to the community, self surrender seems typical in this kind of case,” she said. “He would be booked and have his fingerprints and mugshot taken, and then likely released on bond.”

Trump’s call for protests raise concerns

While Trump’s spokesperson acknowledged there has been “no notification” related to the timing of possible criminal charges, the former president’s call for protests drew the concern of law enforcement involved in preparing for such an event.

The appeal for demonstrations, said one official familiar with the arrangements, may immediately require a larger security footprint in New York and more agents assigned to shadow the movements of the former president.

The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly on the matter, also was not aware of a definitive time for any possible prosecution announcement.

Cohen, the former Trump lawyer who testified against him, said Trump’s call to action for his supporters echoes those ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. 

“Donald’s post is eerily similar to his battle cry prior to the January 6th insurrection; including calling for protest,” Cohen told USA TODAY. “By doing so, Donald is hoping to rile his base, witness another violent clash on his behalf and profit from it by soliciting contributions.”

Dig deeper: 

  • Stormy Daniels: Stormy Daniels meets with Manhattan DA in Donald Trump hush money probe, lawyer says
  • Michael Cohen: Meet the liar and felon who might help convict his former boss, Donald Trump
  • Trump investigations: Trump investigations set to accelerate in coming weeks: Where the inquiries stand

Contributing: Kevin Johnson, David Jackson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump claims he will be arrested Tuesday in Manhattan probe

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