Former President Donald Trump urged his supporters to “take our nation back" in a Saturday social media post in which he predicted he will be arrested next week. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI |
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March 18 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump predicted he will be arrested next week and called on supporters to stage protests on his behalf in a social media message posted Saturday.
Trump urged his allies in a post on his Truth Social platform to "take our nation back," predicting he "will be arrested on Tuesday of next week" by New York authorities who are considering criminal charges over the former president's hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
Trump provided no information his back his claim of an imminent arrest, save pointing to what he called "illegal leaks" regarding the ongoing investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Republican lawmakers have since expressed support for the former president, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who called a potential indictment of Trump an "outrageous abuse of power" by Bragg.
"Here we go again -- an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump," McCarthy said in a statement.
"I'm directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions."
Former Vice President Mike Pence said during an interview with the far-right political website Breitbart on SiriusXM that the Manhattan investigation "reeks of the kind of political prosecution that we endured back in the days of the Russia hoax."
Pence, however, made headlines Sunday after he surprisingly said history will hold Trump "accountable" for his role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in his starkest remarks yet on the former president.
"President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable," Pence previously said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, called the news "unAmerican" in a post on Twitter.
"The Far Left has reached a dangerous new low, aligning themselves with the actions of radical dictators," she wrote.
Democrats such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump's remarks on Truth Social "reckless" and accused him of trying "to foment unrest among his supporters" reminiscent of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
"He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence," Pelosi said. "Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable."
Trump's post came after a series of news stories were published Friday reporting an indictment is imminent and that Bragg will confer with New York City law enforcement authorities regarding how security should be handled if Trump is taken into custody.
One of Trump's attorneys, Joseph Tacopina, has said the ex-president would turn himself in to face the charges in Manhattan if he is indicted by the New York grand jury, Politico reported.
If Bragg's office files charges, this would mark the first time in American history a former president faces a criminal indictment.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the Daniels case and called Bragg's investigation "a political witch-hunt."
There were indications earlier in the week that a decision from the Manhattan grand jury was imminent.
Daniels' lawyers confirmed she met Wednesday with Bragg's office in relation to the case. The probe has been looking into whether the payments allegedly made to Daniels were at the direction of Trump when he was still a candidate, and if that warrants a criminal charge.
Daniels, born Stephanie Clifford, has long contended she had an affair with the former president and that Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, coordinated a hush money payment during the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen has previously testified in front of the grand jury on the matter.
He was back Wednesday, testifying for a second time on the matter.
Cohen in 2020 was handed a federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in connection with arranging hush money payments to two women who said they had affairs with Trump, including Daniels.
He served a short period in New York State's Otisville Federal Correctional Institution where he tested positive for COVID-19. He was later released and allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Cohen went on to write a tell-all book about his time as the president's lawyer where he contends Trump, 76, directed him to make the payments
His most recent testimony came just days after Trump himself was invited to testify on his own behalf in front of the grand jury.
Trump's lawyers said Monday he was declining thatinvitation, saying the former president has no plans to appear for the investigation.
Earlier in March, Trump responded to reports he was being invited to sit for the grand jury by implying a statute of limitations had expired.
"I did absolutely nothing wrong, I never had an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor would I have wanted to have an affair with Stormy Daniels," Trump said in a statement on Truth Social, later adding that the "statute of limitations has long since ended."
He also reinforced his theory the investigation is a "political witch-hunt" in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential race, which Trump is participating in.
Under New York law, potential defendants can ask for notification when a grand jury is hearing a case against them and can choose to speak before the panel without their lawyers.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office had not issued a statement or commented on the report as of Saturday afternoon.
