Trump says he expects to be arrested on Tuesday

Washington
CNN
—

Former President Donald Trump said on Saturday he expected to be arrested in connection with the years-long investigation into a silent money scheme involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels and called out his supporters to protest against such a decision.

In a social media post, Trump, referring to himself, said ‘the leading Republican candidate and former President of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week’ – although he did not elaborate. why he expects to be arrested. His team said after Trump’s message that they received no notification from prosecutors.

CNN’s John Miller reported on Friday that meetings have been taking place throughout the week between municipal, state and federal law enforcement officials in New York over security preparations for a possible indictment. of Trump.

Echoing Trump’s pleas to supporters following the 2020 presidential election, he called for action on Saturday, writing, “Protest, take back our nation.”

The former president campaigned for his team to piss off his base and think an indictment would help him politically, several people briefed on the matter told CNN.

Any indictment of the former president, who is seeking re-election in 2024, would mark a historic first and would quickly shift the political discourse around an already divisive figure. Although Trump has a long history of civil litigation before and after taking office, a criminal charge would represent a dramatic escalation in his legal woes as he strives to retake the White House.

Another witness is expected to testify Monday before the grand jury investigating the silent payments, according to a source familiar with the investigation. It is not clear if this would be the last witness before voting on a possible indictment.

Trump’s legal team has anticipated an indictment will take place soon and has been preparing behind the scenes for the next steps.

Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, later said the former president based his claims on news reports.

“Nobody tells us anything that is very frustrating. President Trump is basing his response on news reports,” Tacopina said in a statement to CNN.

A spokesperson for Trump said earlier on Saturday that the former president had not received notification from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office of a possible indictment, but that he was “rightly emphasizing his innocence” in his statement. message.

Anticipating a potential Republican line of defense on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, tweeted on Saturday that any potential indictment of the former president would represent “an outrageous abuse of power” by the office. of the Manhattan District Attorney.

Mike Pence, who served as vice president under Trump, echoed McCarthy’s message on Saturday. “Well, like a lot of Americans, I’m just – I’m surprised,” Pence told Breitbart News in a radio interview. The former vice president claimed the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation “reeks” of a “political prosecution.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Saturday.

Trump has complained privately that he thinks he’s going to be indicted only because he thinks Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “hates him,” according to a source familiar with Trump.

His call to demonstrate in response to a possible arrest echoes his last days in office, when he repeatedly urged his supporters to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election, culminating in the deadly January 6 attack. 2021 against the US Capitol.

Some of Trump’s advisers had privately urged him not to call for protests, concerned about the optics of a mass protest in the streets of Manhattan spiraling out of control or resembling the 2021 insurrection.

Trump’s defense team should be notified of any possible indictments and then begin negotiations for surrender and a first appearance.

Another witness is expected to testify Monday before the grand jury investigating the silent payments, according to a source familiar with the investigation. It is not clear if this would be the last witness before voting on a possible indictment.

Trump’s team has repeatedly said he would not accept an invitation to testify before the grand jury. But multiple sources familiar with the thinking of his legal team say that if there is an indictment, he would negotiate an agreed surrender date with the district attorney’s office.

Trump’s team has been huddled together all week to plan various scenarios, including Trump traveling to New York as well as a remote hearing where he is staying at Mar-a-Lago, according to sources familiar with the meetings.

Some members of his legal team are advising Trump to request a remote appearance for security reasons in the event of an indictment, but it is unclear whether he would agree to this as he has also discussed with his team wanting to do so. a statement to the courthouse, sources said.

Trump is also considering hiring a new TV-friendly attorney who can handle outside media, sources said. The former president is known for hiring lawyers and advisers based on their television appearances and their ability to defend him in the media.

Two attorneys currently involved in Justice Department investigations around the former president, Jim Trusty and Christina Bobb, were brought into Trump’s fold after he saw them on television.

The campaign is also adding staff to focus on messaging around the potential indictment, a detail first reported by The New York Times.

Law enforcement discussions focused on how to navigate the potential indictment of a criminal charge by a New York County grand jury and the choreography around the possibility of an unprecedented arrest of a former president.

If charged, the former president would have to surrender and go through the process and arraignment at the courthouse, which includes fingerprinting and a photo ID, a source told CNN. close to the file.

However, there could be accommodations to speed up how quickly Trump is processed and how long he stays in the building, the source said. For example, the source explained, the authorities would try to bring him immediately before a judge.

The New York Police Department did not immediately respond to CNN’s investigation following Trump’s messages on Saturday. But New York law enforcement sources told CNN the safety of a possible indictment against Trump was discussed as part of the daily NYPD briefing on Saturday morning and social media is being monitored. daily to detect any threats.

Law enforcement sources know Trump has a loyal following and are taking a wait-and-see approach, a source told CNN. They don’t yet know how many people might plan to show up in Manhattan this week, but officials are monitoring the situation. A more detailed safety briefing is scheduled for Monday.

Trump’s US Secret Service detail would deliver him to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to be fingerprinted, then photographed at the offices of the District Attorney’s detective team. As is customary in cases where a defendant is allowed to surrender voluntarily, after his arrest is processed, the former president would be arraigned directly before a judge where he would likely be released on his own.

Law enforcement officials familiar with the discussions said several concerns were addressed in the planning process, including courthouse security and the possibility of protests or gatherings outside the courthouse. justice by Trump supporters or counter-protests by anti-Trump protesters, with the risk of the two groups clashing.

This story has been updated with additional developments.