Donald Trump says he will be arrested on March 21, calls for protests
As New York prosecutors move to indict him over hush money payments to an adult actress Stormy Daniels, the former US President says the Manhattan DA's office will arrest him within days.
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President Donald Trump reacts during a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan. (Reuters)
Former President Donald Trump said he will be detained on Tuesday in connection with allegations that he paid Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress whose real name is Stephanie Gregory Clifford, hush money to keep quiet about the affair between them.
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 our nation back!"
He also called on his supporters to protest in the event of his arrest.
Michael Cohen, the former attorney in charge of the Trump case, pleaded guilty in 2018 on federal charges concerning offering Clifford $130,000 as hush money after she claimed she had an affair with Trump, who in turn denies.
Trump has lately accused Bragg of employing an "old and rebuked case which has been rejected by every prosecutor’s office that has looked."
It is important to note that it's not prohibited to pay someone hush money in the US.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that the Manhattan DA's office will arrest him on Tuesday and slammed the probe as "corrupt and highly political," adding that the alleged hush money payment is an "old and fully debunked fairy-tale."
Last week, a New York grand jury invited former Trump as part of the Manhattan district attorney office's investigation into hush money payments made to Daniels.
According to the New York Times, the investigative invitation of Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could mean the first-ever indictment of a former US President with a criminal charge.
Daniels met with prosecutors on Wednesday to answer additional questions about the case, and her lawyer, Clark Brewster, indicated she would be willing to testify in the future if necessary.
Meanwhile, local law enforcement agencies are reportedly considering security preparations in the event that former President Donald Trump is arrested within days, as per local media outlets citing officials.
The New York Police Department, New York State Court Officers, the US Secret Service, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office are among the authorities reportedly considering security arrangements.
