On Saturday, ex-President Donald Trump declared his anticipation of being arrested in connection with the prolonged investigation into a hush money scheme that involved adult film star Stormy Daniels. Additionally, he urged his supporters to protest in the event of his arrest. In a social media post, Trump referred to himself as the “leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States” who will supposedly be arrested on Tuesday of the upcoming week. However, he did not specify the reason for his expectation of arrest, and his team claimed that they had not been informed by prosecutors after Trump’s post.
On Saturday, in a manner similar to Trump’s appeals to his supporters following the 2020 presidential election, he urged action, stating, “Protest, take our nation back.” Its possible that the former president may be trying to stir up his base and believes that an indictment would assist him politically.
An indictment of the ex-president, who is running for reelection in 2024, would be a historic first and would rapidly alter the political conversation around a polarizing figure. While Trump has a lengthy history of civil litigation both before and after his presidency, a criminal charge would represent a significant escalation of his legal troubles as he endeavors to recapture the presidency.
Only time will tell if another witness could be expected to testify before the grand jury examining the hush money payments on Monday, though it is unclear if this will be the final witness before the jury votes on a possible indictment. Trump’s legal team has been expecting an indictment and has been preparing for the next steps behind the scenes.
Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, later stated that the former president based his assertions on media reports. “No one tells us anything, which is very frustrating. President Trump is basing his response on press reports,” Tacopina said in a statement to CNN.
